Cars 3: Harley's Choice
by Black Raider
Summary: So many changes happened. Such is life. While Lightning is blindsided by Jackson Storm, Harley struggles to balance multiple sides of her life. As she overcomes these new challenges, she'll have to choose which path she'll take to her future.
1. Life So Far

**A/N: Yes, this is much overdue. But I finally figured it out, and here you go! Harley's next chapter in life and her role in** _ **Cars 3**_ **! The story will focus mostly on her, so it won't be following the movie word-for-word.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter One – Life So Far**

"Keep up that speed, Lightning. Cal's trying to sneak up on you." My eyes flitted to the other races, most of them far behind my star racer.

" _Roger that, Harley."_ Lightning said. Even from my perch, I could see Lightning's smile. Only ten laps to go.

"How's he look, Sis?" Mater asked.

"Awesome, as usual." I replied. "I'm already thinking of some new training techniques to spice things up a bit." I spoke into the mic again. "Speed Racer, stop bantering with Cal and Bobby and focus on the race."

" _Come on, it's fun!"_ Lightning said.

"Save it for the practical jokes after the race." I said.

Guido juggled a few tires. "Peet stop?"

"Nah, only five laps left." I said. "Everyone, get ready to pack it up. We'll be finished shortly. What happened to Leland?"

"Went to grab a drink." Sarge said.

"I don't think he's so good at-a that human stuff." Luigi pointed out.

"He's used to it. He just doesn't like it." I shrugged. It had been two years since Seishin, the Goddess of Psyche, turned Leland Turbo and Nick "Loopin'" Lopez to humans and resurrect them. Finn and Holley were great help in securing new identities for Nick and Leland. Thanks to their links in C.H.R.O.M.E., they could rebuild new pasts for the revived souls. Once that was said and done, Nick moved to Piston Peak Air Attack to become one of their firefighters and Leland came to Radiator Springs to adapt to his new body. Seishin advised the boys to not go back into acting and spy work. Nick was okay with starting a new job as a firefighter, and even began dating Sky. But Leland couldn't imagine doing anything beyond spy work.

"You need time to adjust, to learn how to be human." Finn had told his old partner. "Only when I deem you to be ready will I allow you to return to spy work, if that is still something you should be doing."

Poor Leland. He struggled so hard for the first year. It didn't help that he was itching to get back into spy work. At least Sheriff could keep him occupied with some police training. Until Finn could give Leland the all-clear, I decided he could work with the racing team as a mechanic and email manager. He always came to races, where I hoped he would be distracted enough to not think about his frustrations. But, if anything, the races bored him. At first, he was busy with organizing the email and learning the mechanics of working in a pit crew. But he learned his skills quickly, and he got bored again.

Lightning won the race, and we all laughed at Bobby's latest prank on his friend. I shook my head, amused yet also amazed that grown men could act like such children.

"Incoming Brit." Sarge said.

I turned as Leland jogged up to us. His skin tone had slightly darkened from his time spent in Radiator Springs. He still had his lilac eyes and hair the color of his old paintjob. It took quite a bit of time to convince him to stop dressing in suits and start wearing more casual clothes. For races, especially, I pretty much ordered a dress code for him: jeans, work boots, a T-shirt, and a jacket if it got cold. Nothing fancier.

"A grand race." Leland said. "I am constantly impressed by Mr. McQueen's skill."

"Glad you caught the end of the race from the bar." I said.

"I was not at the bar." Leland scoffed.

"I can smell the beer on your breath." I countered. Leland covered his mouth with one hand, as though that would stop me from smelling it. I laughed as the team headed for the trailers to pack up. "Update me on the emails. Anything new?"

"The usual." Leland reported. "The parts you ordered are _en route_ to the garage in Radiator Springs. Mr. McQueen and yourself are invited to several interviews next week, some of which can be done consecutively or simultaneously. And you also have multiple requests from other racers about being their crew chief."

"Send those racers the usual reply." I said. "They really ought to know by now that it's not going to happen."

Leland chuckled. "Another thing I am impressed by: your loyalty to Mr. McQueen."

"My dad entrusted me with the job." I said. "Lightning trusts me. I need to stay by his side."

"And that's what you want to do with your life? You have always wanted to be a crew chief?" Leland asked.

"I wanted to be like my dad." I shrugged. "Of course, adding the spy work certainly makes life interesting."

"Hey Harley!" Lightning zoomed up and skidded to a halt before us. "Did you see me? That was one of my best runs yet!"

"To be humble is a quality all winners should have." I advised. "But, I will admit, you did very well today."

"Heck yeah I did!" Lightning laughed. "Ka-chow!"

I rolled my eyes and laughed. _Same old Speed Racer._ My phone vibrated as it rang, and I took a few steps away from the team to have more quiet so I could answer. "Hello?"

" _Harley, we've got a new mission."_ Finn was on the other line.

"Another?" I asked, surprised. "Didn't we just finish an undercover stint that lasted like a month?"

" _This one is much simpler."_ Finn explained. _"Busting a drug lord in the Caribbean."_

"Ooh, tropical." I mused. "I like it."

" _I need you to fly out to Florida ASAP."_ Finn said. _"I know you just finished a race. Congratulations to Mr. McQueen on his victory."_

"Finn says 'Way to go' on your win, Speed Racer." I told Lightning.

"Thanks!" Lightning called loud enough for Finn to hear.

" _We send you in undercover at a poker game next week on Saturday, bust our guy, and then maybe go out for a few drinks to celebrate."_ Finn proposed.

"I like it." I paused when I remembered my calendar. "Uh, Finn, that Monday after is another race. Will we be done with the mission by then?"

" _I'm sure we will."_ Finn said.

"Hey, don't worry about it!" Lightning had appeared next to me, apparently having heard my concern. "I'm sure you'll make it. Go on your mission. You like the spy work."

"You sure?" I asked. "What if I'm late?"

"You won't be." Lightning assured. "Never have, never will."

I smiled. "Okay, Finn, email me the details and I'll fly out to Florida in the morning."

" _Looking forward to seeing you, Partner."_ Finn said. _"Also, don't let Leland know about the mission. He'll just get miffed that he can't come."_

"Roger that." I hung up the phone, and I caught sight of Leland's expression, like a child pouting because his mother told him not to do something fun. "What?"

"Another mission. And I'm guessing I can't come along?" Leland asked.

"Finn says you're not ready." I said as I hopped into Mack's trailer.

"Damn what Finn says!" Leland snapped as he followed me. "Sorry. I am sorry. That was rude."

"Yes, you should be nice to your friend." I agreed. "He's just looking out for you."

"But I'm ready to get back into action. I ready to go on missions again." Leland insisted. "Becoming human hasn't changed my instincts."

"I don't know. I think Harley has a point." Lightning said as he loaded up and shut the door behind him. "If I were suddenly human after being a car all my life, it'd take me years to get used to it."

"But you still would have your instincts as a racer. That wouldn't change." Leland said. "Harley, call Finn back and tell him I'm coming with you this time."

"Nope." I said, opening a racing magazine and perusing it.

"Why not?" Leland demanded. "I can do it. Whatever this is, I can do it. Just let me help!"

"It's not even my call, Leland." I reminded him. "Now stop complaining. Get some sleep."

"I can't sleep." Leland complained.

"Then have a drink." I pressed a button on my armrest, and a panel in the wall popped down to reveal a couple bottles of alcohol and a bucket of ice. "I had that installed as soon as I turned twenty-one."

"I'm still convinced you started drinking when you were nineteen." Lightning said.

"Oh please." I scoffed, flipping a page in the magazine. "The legal drinking age in Europe is eighteen. A couple of the C.H.R.O.M.E. agents taught me how to do shots on my birthday."

Lightning chuckled. "Doc would be proud, I'm sure."

"You should've seen how he drank." I chuckled.

Leland poured himself some Scotch into a glass. He swallowed the whole drink in one gulp. "This is a load of—" He glanced at me. "Tractor poop."

"I've heard Finn curse worse than that, Leland." I readjusted my glasses. "I'm not offended by it. You should've heard what would come out Dad's mouth when he was really irritated."

"I have heard what comes out of Doc's mouth when he's mad." Lightning laughed.

Leland poured another drink. "Why can't I just tag along for research? Work the desk like Holley does."

"Work the desk?" Lightning repeated.

"Basically it means waiting in the jet and staying on the computer." I said. "Leland, take it up with Finn, because I'm not having this conversation with you."

Leland huffed, taking another swig of his drink. I rolled my eyes. On the one hand, I understood that he was restless. On the other hand, sometimes I wondered how he could constantly ignore everyone's attempts to keep him safe and alive. He got a second chance at life. He can't take any risks so soon.

* * *

At some point in the drive, I fell asleep thanks to the dimmed lights. I didn't wake until Leland shook my shoulder.

"We arrived at the hotel. Get up." Leland said.

"I'm up. I'm up." I opened my eyes, wondering what I was resting my head on that was so soft and comfy. As soon as the lights flickered on, I realized my head lay on Leland's lap, with his jacket tucked under my head like a pillow. I bolted upright. "Geez, I'm sorry!"

"It's no problem." Leland looked surprised by my outburst.

"But when did I fall asleep on you?" I asked, rubbing my eyes. "No, not _on_ you but on your lap. I mean, when did I lean over and—"

"It's fine." Leland interrupted me. "Really, it's not a problem."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes." Leland said.

"I thought it was kind of cute." Lightning said as he reversed out of the trailer.

"Oh shut up." I scoffed.

Leland pulled on his jacket. "I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. That was not my intention."

"What _was_ your intention?" I asked.

"To make you more comfortable." Leland said. "Clearly, I failed."

"Boys sometimes make me uncomfortable." I said as we exited the trailer.

"I thought I was a man." Leland said with a playful smirk. "How do men make you feel?"

I stared at him. My mouth opened, but nothing came out. I turned away and speed-walked to the hotel. Immediately upon entering the hotel, I realized Leland might feel bad now, and I felt guilty. It wasn't Leland's fault I had an issue with men. The last guy I had a relationship with tried to rape me. Ever since, I unconsciously avoided men to keep history from repeating itself. Sky and Nick just clicked. Their chemistry was visible to anyone who watched them interact. But Leland and I? Well, I guess we were developing a bond, but neither of us were confirming that we had feelings for each other. We weren't denying it, either. But we weren't starting anything. Not that we didn't want to. Or did we?

I groaned, running my fingers through my hair. "I'm overthinking. Of course."

"Everything all right?" Lightning asked.

"Yeah. It's fine." I said. "Just thinking about the mission."

"Stay safe, okay?" Lightning said.

"I will. No worries." I assured. "I'll be quick and back in plenty of time for the race."

* * *

 **A/N: Short, but a new chapter will come soon! Livvy Leopard, I know you waited a long time and so patiently. Hope you like it!**


	2. Blindsided

**Chapter Two – Blindsided**

My wrists and ankles burned from the ropes rubbing against them constantly in my attempts to escape. I squirmed and thrashed, sometimes falling over and needing to right myself again. The two humans watching over me played cards at a table in the middle of the living room. No use in screaming. The cabin we sat in was in the middle of nowhere.

"Would you knock it off?" one of the men scoffed.

"I will _not_ knock it off!" I snapped. "I want you to let me go!"

"Maybe you shouldn't have stuck your nose in our business, spy." The other man shrugged.

"Maybe you should let me go before I kick your ass!" I shouted. "I'm going to be late for a race!"

The first man raised his eyebrow at me. "You're upset because you're going to miss a race?"

"It's important to me!" I growled.

"Why are you not worried about never being rescued?" the first man asked.

"Oh, please." I scoffed. "My backup will be here any minute now. But you are keeping me from something important and you are going to let me go or I'm going to beat you to a pulp!"

"Can we shoot her?" the second man asked. "I don't care if she's collateral against C.H.R.O.M.E. She's annoying."

"Once we get the word from the boss, we'll shoot her in the head." The first man assured.

"Why the head?" I asked, still trying to pull my hands free. "Are you aiming for a quick death? Because it's more effective to start elsewhere."

The men stared at me, and I kept a poker face as I stared back. "What is wrong with you?" the second man asked.

I glanced to the clock on the wall. "Three, two, one."

C.H.R.O.M.E. agents burst through the door and windows, overwhelming the men and forcing them to get on the ground. One of the human agents cut me free.

"Sorry we're late." Finn said.

"Eh, it's fine." I shrugged, rubbing my wrists. "But I think we need to work on our codewords for when missions go haywire."

"You're the one who said you were fine." Finn pointed out.

"Technically, I was doing fine until I tried to escape out the back door." I gasped and checked my clock. "Oh hell. What time is it in the States?"

"Almost 1700 hours." Finn answered. His eyes widened in realization. "Oh, the race!"

"I need to get to Texas ASAP!" I urged. "Where's Siddeley?"

"Parked in a field down the road. I'll give you a ride!" Finn and I raced out the door, and I hopped on his trunk as he sped off.

I cursed under my breath as I contacted Siddeley on my headset. "Sid, hey!"

" _Doesn't the race start soon?"_ Siddeley asked.

"Yes, the race starts in like an hour. Can you get me there?" I asked.

" _Even at top speed, it might take a few hours."_ Siddeley advised.

"Where the heck are we?" I asked.

" _Near the Russian border."_ Siddeley said. _"But don't worry. With afterburners, I can get there in three hours, give or take."_

"Okay, that's not ideal, but it'll do. I'll miss the pre-race events, but will arrive for the beginning of the actual race." I said. "Just get your jets started!"

" _I'm on it, little buddy!"_ Siddeley said.

"You're the best, Sid. Thank you!" I tapped my fingers nervously on Finn's hood.

"You'll make it, Harley. No worries." Finn assured.

"I hope so." I sighed. _I better not miss this race. Lightning will kill me._

* * *

Siddeley flew at top speed, and even stealthily flew over the ocean so I could jump out and paraglide towards the shore. It was already dark, even in the States.

"You rock, Siddeley!" I said gratefully.

" _Just get to your race, Harley!"_ Siddeley encouraged. _"Tell McQueen I said 'good luck!'"_

"Thanks!" I jumped from the jet, holding the steel rod that unfolded into a hang glider with the push of a button. I steered the glider in the direction of the lights on the mainland. I activated the computer in my glasses to give me the fastest route to the race. Based on the newsfeed from the track, I still had twenty minutes before the race starts. My phone rang, and I answered it with my Bluetooth. "Hudson here."

" _About time you picked up!"_ Leland's voice came from the other end of the line. _"We've been calling for hours!"_

"I was a little tied up." I said. "I'm on my way."

" _The race is about to start."_ Leland pointed out. _"McQueen is worried. We all are."_

"I said I'll be there soon! Just give me ten more minutes!" I checked my ETA. "Make that twelve minutes." I hung up, focusing on my flight. Thankfully, I arrived at the racecourse faster than anticipated, and I landed on top of the trailer of a Peterbilt driving past the track. I folded the hang glider and jumped up to grab a street sign, slid down the pole to the ground, and activated the wheels and jets in my shoes to help speed me along. When I got close enough, I deactivated the wheels and jets and flashed my crew chief badge at the security so I could sprint inside.

" _Piccolo!"_ Guido called as I approached the team.

"'Bout time ye got here, Sis!" Mater said, looking worried. "You all right?"

"I'm fine!" I pulled off my spy headset and Guido tossed me my crew chief headphones. "Speed Racer, talk to me!"

" _Harley!"_ Lightning sighed, sounding relieved. _"Are you okay? We didn't hear from you for so long."_

"I'm okay, Speed Racer." I assured. "Let's do this." Lightning either believed me or he didn't have time to respond before the flag waved to start the race.

"What happened out there?" Sarge asked.

"Mission went awry and I was kidnapped." I shrugged.

"Again?" Fillmore groaned.

"I don't know why people think I'll be a damsel in distress when captured." I scoffed. "I even beat up my captors most of the time."

"You aren't hurt, are ya?" Mater asked.

"I'm fine." That was partially a lie. I had several bruises hidden by my clothes. But bruises didn't bother me. What bothered me is when people fuss and fret over my injuries, which is why I'm glad no one else asked if I was okay.

My brain mostly went on autopilot as I watched Lightning race. It was a rather easy race. Lightning didn't need much help from me right now. During a bit of a lull in the race, my mind began to wander. I was exhausted. My eyes sometimes shut for a full thirty seconds before I could shake myself into focus again. It occurred to me that I hadn't slept properly in several days. In fact, last night, I don't think I slept at all as I tried to escape. When did I take a nap, at least? It occurred to me that this had happened before. Times like this made me wonder if I needed to take a break from spy or crew chief work. Lately, I had lost a bit of sleep and gained a lot of stress by trying to balance both. I could do both, but sometimes the days seemed to blur together. Especially when I had to think about my responsibilities in Radiator Springs. I had to help out Flo in the café, monitor crime with Sheriff, and lend a hand everywhere in town so it could run smoothly. That was my role. I was a jack-of-all-trades, and I made myself available to my family. They needed me, and I had to be there for them. I'd hate to disappoint everyone.

Something caught my eye, and I fumbled with the mic of my headset. "Lightning, watch out! You've got a car—"

Too late. The black racecar with blue accents swerved around Lightning and Cal and shot across the finish line right behind Bobby.

"On….your six….." I finished my sentence futilely.

" _Harley, what was that?"_ Lightning as over the radio.

"One of the younger racers." I said. "Sorry, Lightning. I think I'm jet-lagged or something."

" _Hey, no worries. Can't win them all. He didn't even beat Bobby."_ Lightning assured. _"But you're going right to sleep when we get to the hotel, okay? You clearly need the rest."_

I laughed softly. "Whatever you say." I looked to the black car who won second. I didn't get a chance to review the roster, nor did I pay attention to the announcers saying names during the race. "Hey, Leland. Who's that black car?"

Leland checked the racing program in his hands. "Um…I'm not sure. I didn't see the racer number."

"Racer Number 20." Sarge said.

Leland flipped through the program. "Jackson Storm. Rookie. Part of the 'Next Gen Racers,' whatever that means."

I hummed in thought. "Been a while since I saw a car speed faster than Lightning."

"Well, perhaps if he focused more on the race instead of bantering with his friends, he might've won." Leland pointed out.

"Lightning is a champion racer." I shrugged. "He doesn't race to win. He races because he's passionate about it."

"Ain't about winnin' no more." Mater chimed in.

I looked back to Jackson Storm. That name rang a bell. Where had I heard that name before?

* * *

Finn called me three times, but I didn't get to answer my phone until after I slept for at least twelve hours. He congratulated me on making it back in time, and expressed some surprise when he heard Lightning was blindsided by another racer and lost the race. He wished Lightning the best of luck in the next one.

I was ready, too. I caught up on my sleep and helped Lightning with his training. We were ready for this race. I also managed to keep Leland busy by doing research on these Next Gen Racers everyone started talking about. There were a few more of them in this race, including Jackson Storm.

"Ready for this, Speed Racer?" I asked in the microphone.

" _Yeah, totally."_ Lightning didn't sound as certain as normal. _"These Next Gen guys are something else."_

"I noticed." I said. "But they're all rookies, just like you once were. Why don't you show them how it's done?"

" _Roger that, Chief."_ Lightning sounded like his normal, confident self this time.

The flag waved, and the race started with a roar of engines. I kept my eyes on Lightning, sometimes looking to the other racers. As the race went on, however, I found myself watching the Next Gen Racers more than Lightning (who was doing all right, anyway). The precision and speed of the Next Gen cars was impressive, to say the least. These guys clearly had some serious training and probably a lot of body modifications. It's hard to tell what part of a car is due to their genetics and what was added to them later in life.

"Those Next Gen fellas are somethin' else." Mater mused.

"Hey, Leland. What did you find out about those guys?" I asked.

"These racers are nothing like the veterans." Leland told me, pulling up his notes on his SkyPad. "They can hold that optimum racing line every single lap. Lower drag efficient. Higher top speed. These racers, like Storm, are racing on the high-tech, cutting-edge simulators."

Guido spoke in Italian, which Luigi translated. "What does-a that mean?"

"It means this is the only time these racers actually race outside." I scoffed. "Pansies."

"Pansies?" Leland looked confused. "You're calling them flowers?"

"I'm calling them wimps." I corrected. Jackson Storm suddenly sped across the finish line in first place. Lightning followed in second. "Very fast wimps." I muttered.

I met with Lightning at the winner's podium. "What a race, huh?" Lightning asked, trying to sound enthusiastic.

"Yeah, great race." I agreed. "Really, Lightning, you did great. But maybe we can try a few different training routines when we get home. You know, mix things up a little."

"That'd be awesome!" Lightning agreed. "Yeah, let's do that." He glanced to Jackson Storm, departing from the press, and the two of us hurried to catch up. "Hey! Jackson Storm! Great race out there."

"Yes, very well done." I agreed.

"Oh, thank you." Jackson said. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to beat you."

I raised an eyebrow, and Lightning stumbled a little in his surprise. "I'm sorry, did you say 'beat' or 'meet'?"

Jackson stopped, reversed, and stared at Lightning levelly. "I think you know what I meant."

"What?" Lightning asked, a little put-off by Jackson's attitude.

"Hey! Now here's a legend right in front of me!" Jackson's focus was on me, now, and he ignored Lightning completely. The press took notice, paying more attention and edging their mics closer to us.

I wasn't afraid of the press, nor Jackson Storm. "You flatter me, Mr. Storm. I'm no one special."

"No one special?" Jackson scoffed. "Sweetheart, you're the daughter of a great chief, and you're making quite a name for yourself."

"Thank you." I said, staying calm and cool. "For future reference, don't call me 'sweetheart.'"

Jackson nodded. "My apologies, Chief Hudson. You know, I'm in the market for a new crew chief. My current one is retiring soon. What do you think about joining Team Storm?"

I exchanged a mildly surprised look with Lightning before turning my attention to Jackson again. "Again, I'm flattered."

"Well, you seem like the best option." Jackson said. "You have an extensive record and a unique skill set. You are the Fabulous Hudson Hornet's daughter. He taught you everything he knew."

Those words reminded me where I heard of Jackson Storm. He was one of the racers who most persistently emailed me, asking to be his crew chief. "I appreciate the opportunity and the offer, but I am not available to take on other racers. If that changes, I will consider your offer. Thank you." I skated away before Jackson could continue asking. Lightning followed me. We met with the team, including Rusty, Dusty, and the rest of the Rust-eze entourage.

"What was that Storm feller talking to you about?" Mater asked.

"He wants me to be his crew chief." I explained. "I declined."

"Why?" Leland asked. "Wouldn't working other racers boost your career? Even working with them simultaneously with coaching McQueen?"

"It's a matter of loyalty." I shrugged. "Dad trusted me to work with Lightning. Plus, I don't want to deal with juggling a schedule of being a crew chief to multiple racers. Even Tex offered me a place in Dinoco. Him, I would consider working for. He's nice."

"He is a nice guy to work with, I'm sure." Rusty agreed. "We appreciate your loyalty, though."

"Real honor, kiddo." Dusty said.

"Thanks." I said. "Now let's go have a drink or something. Second place is still something to celebrate!"


	3. Crash

**A/N: Oy, I hate computer problems. Not only was I unable to get online, I couldn't even finish the chapter until now. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Three - Crash**

As the season progressed, more and more Next Gen Racers joined the track. The more who came in, the more veterans Lightning and I saw retiring or being fired to make way for the rookies. Even Cal announced his retirement, to Lightning's shock and dismay. I, too, couldn't believe how many old friends and veterans began hanging up their racing tires.

"That's the natural order of things, isn't it?" Leland pointed out as we headed for one of the last races of the season. "The next generation of rookies come in and the older cars start to retire."

"I guess we were so focused on our own racing that we lost track of the other racers coming in." I said.

"Hey, no worries." Lightning said, trying to stay optimistic. "Fresh talent. That's great."

"There's looking at the bright side." I said gratefully. "Glad Jackson hasn't completely gotten on your nerves."

Lightning shrugged. "I don't care what Storm says or does."

Leland fake coughed as he scrolled through articles on his SkyPad. "Liar."

We arrived at the track, and I made a beeline for the pits. The sooner I got to my station, the longer I stayed away from the press. They kept pestering me about Lightning's future—and, very often, my own—in racing. Leland stayed by my side.

"Is something bothering you?" I asked the former spy, seeing how he kept glancing around as we speed-walked.

"Have you noticed that there are more Next Gen cars than there are ones with whom we are familiar?" Leland asked.

"Do you ever notice that you speak with impeccable grammar?" I mused.

"Do you notice how you ask random questions to avoid topics you don't like?" Leland countered.

"I know." I sighed. "Of course I notice all the Next Gen."

"Should we be concerned?" Leland wondered.

"No." I said a bit too quickly. "No. Of course not."

"Hey Miss Hudson!" came Jackson Storm's voice from behind us.

"Oh dear Ford." I groaned.

"I'll distract him while you run." Leland offered.

"I can handle it." I assured. Leland nodded and kept going, respecting my decision. I turned to face Jackson with a friendly smile, yet also with a look in my eyes that hopefully said "Leave me alone."

Evidently, Jackson didn't get the memo. "There she is! The great Harley Hudson herself!"

"The press aren't here. You can stop now." I said.

"My awe of your abilities is not an act, Miss Hudson." Jackson said. "You are humble, but there's no need to hide how well you do your job."

"I take it you're going to try to recruit me for your team again, hmm?" I guessed.

"Miss Hudson, perhaps you are not aware of the benefits of being on my team." Jackson said. "We'll help you advance your career. Not only will you work with me, you'll partner with other racers and chiefs. You can be a crew chief until you're older than your father lived to be. You'll be wealthy and powerful in the racing world."

"Mr. Storm, my decision to work with Lightning is based on family loyalty, not money." I said. "I will be his crew chief until such time I am not needed."

"That day may come sooner than you think." Jackson warned. "So, I would like you to know that my offer will always be on the table for you to take."

"I'll never take it. More importantly, since when did you become the one to decide McQueen's future?" I demanded.

"McQueen's getting older, Miss Hudson." Jackson said. "He's not going to be in the racing scene much longer. Just keep that in mind." He drove off, and it took quite a bit of willpower to not cuss at him.

"Harley!" Lightning called as he drove up. "What were you doing talking to Storm?"

"He's trying to recruit me to be his crew chief." I said.

Lightning followed me to the pits. "And you said 'no,' right?"

"Of course. Why would I work with him?" I scoffed.

"Well, some people are attracted by the fancy stuff." Lightning said. "I want to make sure that…..that, uh…."

"That I won't abandon you?" I guessed. "Speed Racer, I'm your chief. Storm won't change my mind."

"I just want to make sure." Lightning said.

"Since when was my loyalty tossed into question?" I demanded.

"Since people started asking you to coach them." Lightning said. "Don't think I don't see the emails. You've got racers tripping over themselves trying to get to you."

"Have you noticed that I'm here and not there? I'm your crew chief, your team leader." I reminded him. "I'm not going anywhere."

Lightning sighed. "I know that, Harley. I do. It's just that I'm scared for the day you change your mind."

"Well stop fearing that day." I said. "The day I change my mind will be the day you retire. So you're in control."

"I'm not sure how I feel about being in charge of your future." Lightning admitted.

"Nothing is pleasing you today, is it?" I snapped.

"Hey, don't bark at me." Lightning huffed. "You're the one who seems to be having issues today."

"I'm having issues with Storm, and you're not helping." I said. "Now go run a few warm-up laps or something."

Lightning scoffed and drove away to the track. I hopped up onto the crew chief platform and put on my headset. I crossed my arms and slouched grumpily. I glanced sideways and saw the rest of the team arrived and stared at me strangely.

"This is going to sound like a ridiculous question, but are you all right?" Leland asked.

"Bloody brilliant." I grumbled.

"There's-a no need to worry." Luigi said. "You are tough."

"I'm irritated." I growled.

"That's obvious." Mater said. "Ye wanna take some time to chill?"

"Mater has a point, Harley." Sally said. "Take a breather, if you need it." I shook my head, opting to take some deep breaths.

The racers began lining up for the race. I scanned the crowd, and reluctantly pinged Lightning on the radio. "Hey Speed Racer. Where's Bobby?"

" _I don't know."_ Lightning admitted. _"Harley, I think these guys are all Next Gen cars."_

I looked over the racers again. "I think you're right. But you can handle it, can't you?"

" _Of course."_ Lightning assured.

"You don't sound sure of that." I noted.

" _Well I am!"_ Lightning snapped.

I rolled my eyes. "Boys."

The race began. Already, I saw Lightning making rookie mistakes. He wasn't moving like the professional I knew he was. I gave him reminders, and he shook himself back into focus. But then he'd go back to making the same mistakes. I didn't understand it. Since when was he this distracted? It didn't make sense. I looked to Jackson Storm. He was always very close to Lightning: sometimes behind, sometimes in front, sometimes right beside him. I could hear Storm taunting occasionally. Lightning kept pushing himself, continuing to make mistakes.

"Maybe I'm just not used to watching the races in person as opposed to on the TV, but does this usually happen?" Sally asked me.

"Not often." I pinged Lightning on the radio. "Hey, Speed Racer."

" _Can you stop with the pointers? It's getting annoying."_ Lightning snapped.

I bit my tongue to stop my retort. "Just checking in. You're looking okay. How do you feel?"

Lightning's calming breaths could be heard over the radio. _"I feel fine. I just need to focus on Storm."_

"Don't worry too much about Storm." I advised. "Just treat him like any other racer."

" _But he's not just any other racer."_ Lightning protested. _"He's the guy trying to knock me out of racing for good."_

"He's not going to do that." I assured. "Just settle into the flow of the race."

" _Right. Right, I got it."_ Lightning said, albeit impatiently.

I muttered under my breath. _I'm going to kill him._

"Harley?" Leland piped up.

"I'll handle this, buddy." Mater said. "Sissy, ya just gotta remember what Doc said: 'Keep calm and drive on.'"

"Right." I sighed. "I know. We got this."

So the race continued on, and I did everything I could to keep my temper in check. Dad used to tell me that my usually-rational mind is often clouded when I get really frustrated. The good news is I know the techniques he used to help me get through my internal outbursts. The bad news is I sometimes forgot those techniques when in the middle of said outbursts. Everyone else may see me stoic and focused on the outside, but inside I was a raging wildfire.

Lightning came in for a pit stop near the end of the race. "Come on! Come on, Guido! I have to get out ahead of Storm!"

"Speed Racer, relax." I said. "You'll be fine if you just—"

"Just get me out there!" Lightning demanded.

"I said chill out!" I snapped. "You'll get out ahead of Storm if you give Guido time to—" The very second Guido finished his pit stop, Lightning's tires screeched as he shot from the pits. I coughed at the smoke he kicked up and talked into the radio. "Lightning, you have to relax. Storm is getting to you, and you have to—"

" _Just shut up!"_ Lightning shouted over the radio.

"Oh I know you did not just use an attitude with me!" I growled. "If you don't shape up and—" I heard a familiar _click._ "Did you just mute me?" I heard no response. "You muted me you little son of a Beemer!"

"Harley, language." Sarge reminded me.

I just growled in response. I kept pinging Lightning on the radio. "Lightning, answer me. McQueen! Look, I know you're stressed, but you have to keep your head in the game." I saw Storm drive up alongside Lightning. "Whatever he's saying to you, ignore him! He's trying to get under your paint. Don't let him." When the racers passed the pits, I could see the stress on Lightning's face. "Lightning, please listen to me. Loosen up. You're overstressed and it's going to come back to bite you." I saw something that made my heart jump to my throat. "Is there something wrong with your back wheel? Hello? McQueen, answer me! What—"

Suddenly, one of Lightning's back tires blew out. He began fishtailing as he struggled to regain control.

"No, no!" I gasped. "Lightning!"

Lightning swerved, and he tripped. He began bouncing and rolling. He was nothing but a blur of red paint, black asphalt, and sparks. He ended up coming to a stop on the grass. I threw my headset aside and jumped off the chief platform. I sprinted towards Lightning, unaware if anyone followed me. Paramedics already approached Lightning to help him. A couple forklifts stopped me from going farther. Mater and Sally came to a stop behind me.

"McQueen!" Mater shouted worriedly.

"Let me through!" I ordered.

"Chief Hudson, you must stay back." The forklift in front of me said.

"Let the paramedics do their work." The other forklift said, in a harsher tone than his friend.

"I'm a registered healer!" I pulled out my badge I earned at the hospital. It was proof that my healing powers as a psyche human are qualified for emergency situations.

But the second forklift didn't even look at my badge. "Just stand back and let the professionals work."

"But I can help him!" I stared at Lightning. "He's hurt and needs my help!"

"We don't need some pompous psych-man brat getting in our way!" the second forklift snapped.

"Jonathan!" the first forklift scolded.

"Uh oh." Mater said, and for good reason. I punched the second forklift in the eye and hopped over his tines to run to Lightning. I could hear the paramedics talking worriedly. They were saying things like "stabilize him" and "we're losing him." I pushed my way through and put my hands to Lightning's damaged hood.

"Don't you dare die on me, Lightning." I growled as I used my healing powers. "Wake up. Open your eyes!"

Nobody moved. Everything around me disappeared as I focused.

At long last, Lightning coughed and his eyes opened. Not very much, but just enough so he could look at me.

"You're okay." I said soothingly. I patted Lightning's hood. "It's okay. You're going to be okay."


	4. Trust

**Chapter Four – Trust**

"Negligence! That's what this is! Caused by a paramedic's foolish pride that nearly got my racer killed! Do you understand me? That son of a Beemer stopped me from going to McQueen, and it nearly killed him! _I_ am his chief. That makes him _my_ responsibility!"

The car and human doctors before me cowered a little. I berated them for a solid half hour, and Dad always said I inherited his ability to scold morons for their idiocy. "We understand completely, Miss—"

" _Chief_ Harley. Maybe some don't honor that title off the track, but you're going to honor it here." I growled.

"Right." the human doctor nodded. "Chief Harley, we will be having a serious talk with that paramedic who did not honor your healer's badge. We will answer to you regarding Mr. McQueen's healing process."

"See that you do." I turned on my heel and marched off. I stomped to the lobby and found the rest of the Radiator Springs crew waiting for me. Even Rusty and Dusty from Rust-eze were there. When they saw me, Sally and Flo gave everyone else a look that caused the group to stay where they were instead of rushing up to me. It seemed the girls had a chat with everyone about overwhelming me with questions. I owed them one.

"So what's the word, Chief?" Rusty asked.

"He's stable and should wake up soon. I'm going to see him in a minute." I explained. "And the doctors are all scared of me."

"Rightly so." Sally said. "I'm ready to sue if you want."

"We'll consider that." I said. "For now, I just want to be with him when he wakes up." I turned to leave, but I felt someone's hand on my shoulder. "Leland, do not say anything. I'm still ticked."

"Just hear this one thing I have to say." Leland requested.

I sighed. "Fine."

"You did the right thing. We're all very proud." Leland said.

I glanced back to him and saw Leland grinning comfortingly. I nodded in thanks and walked off to Lightning's room. Lately, I noticed Leland was always the one to stay calm, even when I'm stressed. Lightning's recovery was not going to be easy. But knowing Leland and the rest of the team stood behind us made the situation more bearable.

Entering Lighting's hospital room brought back the memory of the time Dad had an engine attack during a race. At least he was well enough to wake up and make jokes. Lightning was still asleep. But he must've heard me come in, because he stirred and opened his eyes. Most of his metal hide was still crumpled, dented, or scratched.

"Hey Harley." He greeted sleepily.

"Hey Speed Racer." I said, pulling up a chair. I patted his hood. "How do you feel?"

"Sore." Lightning admitted. "But I want to get out of here as soon as possible."

"Lightning, racing season is over. You have time to heal, and you're going to take the time to heal properly." I insisted. "I won't let you hurt yourself trying to heal faster. On that note, I will use my powers to help you as much as I can. Just remember that it will still take time."

Lightning nodded very small, clearly still in some pain despite the morphine. "I need to thank you, Harley. You saved my life."

"It was nothing." I shrugged.

"No, really." Lightning insisted. "Harley, I felt it. I was dying. I just felt so limp and my life was flashing before my eyes. Thought I even heard Doc scolding me. Then I opened my eyes and you were there. You brought me back. Thank you."

I couldn't be sure if Lightning was lucid or if this was the painkillers talking. So I just smiled and hugged him. "Get some rest. We'll be home soon."

I waited until Lightning fell asleep again before moving to the chair by the window. I stared outside, lost in thought. Sure, I had saved people's lives with my powers before. After all, I got certified as a professional psych-man healer so I could better help people with my abilities. I guess it's different when you're saving the life of someone you love. It never occurred to me that Lightning could crash and be injured in a race. He's never had such a serious wreck. It was always minor scrapes from hitting a wall or something. This wasn't going to be an easy road to travel towards being back to normal.

Pulling out my phone, I scrolled through my camera roll until I found a photo of me, Sky, and Katherine, taken while we were attending the Academy for Psyche Students. Up until we discovered Waller's sinister plot, it was a lot of fun hanging out with them at the academy. Everything from the classes to the musical. Sky and Katherine were the type of friends I could always count on for advice. Sky was driven by emotions. Katherine let logic guide her. I went to them for unbiased opinions. Now, more than ever, I wanted to talk to them about what was happening. But Sky was finishing fire season at Piston Peak and Katherine was on holiday with her family in Africa. Besides, Sky would probably hear about the crash and call me when she could.

I sighed and tucked my phone away. I glanced to Lightning. "Looks like we're on our own, for now."

* * *

Of course, Lightning wanted to drive himself home once he was cleared to leave the hospital. I, on the other hand, practically dragged him into Mack's trailer so we could go home. Once we got back to Radiator Springs, I started Lightning's rehabilitation process. That began with me gradually healing him with my powers.

"Bit by bit, day by day, I'm going to help your body recover from your injuries." I explained as I analyzed Lightning's patched-up wounds. "As soon as Ramone can buff out the scratches and dents, we can start training. Before I clear you for that, you're going to stick with casual laps around town, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." Lightning nodded.

"I mean it, Lightning." I said. "You're going to build your speed back up. With how natural your talent is for speed, it'll be easy. Just don't overwork yourself." Lightning nodded in understanding. "Good. We're not going to rush this, but I'm going to do what I can to speed this along, if that makes any sense."

"It does." Lightning said as I began the healing. "I'm already anxious to get back on the track. But don't do anything that'll hurt you, okay?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Does healing cars ever hurt?"

"It used to. Because I would essentially have to be injured so I could be healed. But since I found my Soul Connect with Finn, it doesn't hurt anymore."

"Good. Just do what you can."

I smiled and patted Lightning's hood. "We're in this together, Speed Racer. I mean, we're basically in the tulips right now, but that doesn't mean we can't get back on track."

"At least I didn't crash into the cactus again." Lightning chuckled.

I glanced at the damage still on Lightning's hide. _I would've rather he crashed into cacti._

* * *

And so began a new daily routine. I would use my powers to gradually heal Lightning's injuries and then guide him in easy drills to help him regain his strength. He was eager to get back on a track, but I wouldn't let him go faster than forty miles an hour until his body could take it. I've done enough reading on the matter to know that healing Lightning too quickly after such a traumatizing wreck will only hurt him more in the long run. Ramone won't even be able to scrape off the damaged paint until his outer wounds healed a bit more.

Luckily, Lightning proved that even he could be patient. He followed my instructions and let me set the pace. It wasn't long before we could pick up speed, and Lightning gained more and more energy by the day. After a month of healing, Lightning could do sixty-mile-per-hour loops for about half an hour before getting sore. Ramone rewarded him by buffing out the dents and scratches to give Lightning a fresh hide to be painted.

I snickered a little when Lightning came out of Ramone's shop. He was completely grey from the primer, which would need to set before Ramone could paint him. "That's such a weird look on you."

"Aw, thanks." Lightning said, his tone playfully sarcastic. "I've been told I look sexy in primer."

"You sure do." Sally said, nuzzling Lightning lovingly.

"Oh brother." I rolled my eyes. "Just maybe shine your rims a little before going on Date Night."

"Yeah, whatever." Lightning scoffed. "Oh! Speaking of Date Night, I have a little proposition for you, Harley."

"And what would that be?" I asked skeptically.

"Go take the night off and have some fun." Lightning said. "You've earned it."

I stretched my arms a little. "I don't know, Lightning. I'm almost too tired for such a thing."

"Because you've been working yourself so hard to help me." Lightning pointed out.

"You _have_ been working overtime, Harley." Sally agreed. "It's so great how hard you're working to help McQueen, but you need time for yourself."

"So go out and have a nice night. Treat yourself." Lightning said.

I sighed. "If I try and argue, are you going to force me to go out and enjoy myself?"

"Yep!" Lightning nodded.

I laughed. "Okay, fine. I'm off, then." I skated away, gliding down the main street of Radiator Springs. It was a nice day, and the weather called for clear skies tonight. _I guess I do deserve a break. But what to do? Honestly, I'd be happy just having a movie night at home._

"Harley!"

Leland's voice startled me, and I turned to see him, Flo, Red, and Lizzie at Flo's café. "Hey, Leland." I said as I skated to him. "What's up?"

"A little bird told me you had some time off tonight." Leland said. "With permission from your family—especially the ones who scare me the most—I'd like to ask your permission to accompany you tonight. Perhaps we could share a meal at the Wheel Well?"

I glanced to Flo, Red, and Lizzie, who shrugged innocently. Leland was indeed quite brave to even suggest that he go on a date with me. "Sounds fun, Leland."

"Wonderful!" Leland looked truly delighted. "Six o'clock?"

"See you there." I agreed. Leland had a little skip to his step as he left.

"That ought to be fun, sweet pea." Flo mused. "Don't you think you should be getting ready?"

"I have time." I assured.

"Isn't it already lunchtime?" Lizzie asked.

My eyes widened, and I checked my phone. "Oh my Dodge it's already two o'clock!" I skated home as fast as my skates would let me. "I have to shower!"

* * *

It took maybe an hour to make myself clean and presentable. I spent the next two hours trying to pick an appropriate outfit. While I did that, my mind wandered. I had agreed so quickly to Leland's invitation, but only now did it settle that this was actually a date. A true and honest date. I hadn't been on any kind of date, casual or romantic or otherwise, since my relationship with Brian.

I heard somewhere—maybe it was a book or a line from some cheesy cartoon—that when you see someone through rose-colored glasses, all the red flags just look like regular flags. Brian was kind and sweet. We met at an after-party for a race. He seemed like a cool guy and I was open to getting to know him. Sure, he had his flaws. Didn't everyone? When he showed his true colors, I was shocked. For a moment, I was shocked. Then, I was ready to beat him to a bloody pulp. All I wanted was to hurt him. Even now, I can recall the fear and anger running through me like the very blood in my veins. Brian wanted to do unspeakable things to me. Had I not stopped him, who knows what could've happened?

After that, I truly never even thought of having another relationship like that. No more boyfriends, I told myself. Not even girlfriends. They're only trouble. Yet, here I am, breaking that one promise I made to myself. Maybe it was because Leland was already a friend to me. I knew I could trust him. After all, Finn would trust Leland with his very life. My family trusted him, too.

I chose a simple, navy blue dress with long sleeves and a skirt that went down to my knees. I scanned my rows of skates and rollerblades, deciding on a pair of black rollerblades to match my outfit. I also put on a black headband. Even as I assured myself this would all be grand and dandy, I worried my old fears would resurface and not allow me to have a good time.

It was nearly five-thirty.

"I'm not backing out." I told my reflection. "I'm going to have fun tonight."

* * *

Times like this made me wonder if Holley ever felt like this. She and I were both highly-trained spies, yet surely she must feel nervous about normal things like dates. I scanned the diners at the Wheel Well and spotted Leland amongst the outdoor seated patrons. I joined him at his table and ordered a sweet iced tea from the waiter.

"You look lovely, milady." Leland said.

"I see you're back in the suit." I mused.

"This is a blazer." Leland said, tugging at his black blazer that rested over his white button-down shirt. He lifted a foot to show off his shoes. "And these are a casual gentleman's shoe."

I laughed. "You give a whole new meaning to 'city boy.'"

"I'm doing my best to blend in with your country lifestyle, but I'll always be a man of Britain." Leland said. He and I looked over the menu. The conversation appeared to be dead already.

"Sheriff keeping you busy, at least?" I asked.

"Not much crime in this town." Leland said. "But he's been giving me materials that he studied when he was at the academy. It's distracting when I need something to do. Finn still won't let me go on missions, although I'd rather be here to help with McQueen's recovery in any way I can."

"Finn told me to take the time I need to help McQueen heal, and then I can get back into spy work." I said.

"I'm impressed by how well you blended into the field, Harley." Leland said after we ordered our food. "You're a natural."

"Thanks." I said. "It's nice to change things up now and then. Being crew chief and Lightning's trainer is fun, but sometimes I get bored during the off-season."

"How long have you been crew chief for the team?" Leland asked.

"Since my dad died when I was about fifteen." I said. "Lightning trusted me with the job."

"You've been doing marvelously." Leland said. "Truly. I've seen you do amazing things while I was watching you."

I nearly choked on my drink while trying to hold back my laughter. "What?"

Leland seemed to realize what he just said. "No! I meant while I was a ghost and watching over you in a not-creepy way."

"I know. Relax." I laughed. "You and Nick aren't so different, you know. When you had the option to move on after death, you both chose to stay behind and protect the ones you loved. Like guardian angels. I am curious, though: did you ever go to see your family?"

Leland nodded slowly. "A few times. They missed me, yes. But, as time went by, they were able to pass through the phases of grief and move on. Finn, however, blamed himself for my death. I had to stick around to help him cope."

"You're a good friend to do that." I said.

"This coming from the one responsible for McQueen's healing." Leland said. "Your powers are remarkable, and you've taken sole control of this recovery process. You never cease to amaze me, Harley Hudson."

I pushed my food back and forth across my plate. I didn't say anything in response; and Leland, either out of concern or confusion, did not press the matter further. It only took a few more minutes for me to speak my mind. "Leland?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm worried."

"Anyone would be in this situation."

"But I'm worried because there is a chance Lightning won't bounce back from this."

Leland stopped eating mid-chew. He had to take a minute to swallow what was in his mouth. "What are you talking about? You said you were making progress. He can hold sixty miles an hour."

"Yes, but he's going to have to stay at sixty until he regains his strength. That means running laps and doing remedial drills for the next month." I ran my fingers through my blue-streaked hair. "I don't know if Lightning can do it. He has been patient for a while, but I don't expect that patience to last. This wreck…" Flashes of images passed in front of my eyes. Things I saw when I went snooping through Dad's old film reels. "This looks too much like the wreck that ended Doc's career. Lightning was already getting pushed to the edge with Storm and the other Next Gen cars."

Leland reached across the table and took my hand in his own, giving it a squeeze. It still sometimes surprised me to see his human form. "Harley, we all make choices on the paths we take in life. Sometimes, those choices are our own. Sometimes, they are choices others make for us. Often, the choices we make are influenced by those around us. Our friends and family. Even our enemies. But we decide who to listen to. We decide what will govern our choices, and what paths we will take. I've always been a firm believer in doing what you love and making the choices that lead to you being happy."

I took a moment to think about what he said, and I smiled. "I am happy, Leland. My life is crazy right now, but I'm getting on the right path."

"On that note, let me ask you this: are you truly on the path that will make you happy?" Leland asked. "Is this the life you want? Are there any changes you want to make?"

I tapped the rim of my cup thoughtfully. "I don't know."

* * *

Leland, like the British gentleman he was, walked me back to Radiator Springs. "I hope this night was enjoyable, Miss Hudson."

"I've told you to never call me that." I scoffed. "You're my friend. And, yes, this was more fun than I thought it would be."

"Good." Leland looked rather proud of himself, as if a successful dinner date were equivalent to taking down a crime boss. He looked ahead and waved. "Hello Mater!"

I also looked down the road and saw Mater, and I noticed a certain racecar trying to hide behind him. He wasn't fast enough, though. "Lightning McQueen! What happened to you?"

Lightning tried to escape, but I threw a force field around him to stop his mad dash away from me. When Leland and I finally got close enough, I saw scratches all over Lightning's hide, a large dent, and a crushed headlight.

"I can explain!" Lightning said.

"You went out to Willie's Butte, didn't you?" I growled.

"Maybe." Lightning whimpered.

The hour sort of passed in a blur. First, I let loose a string of profanities in Lightning's direction. Then I practically dragged him to the clinic so I could heal him. While I healed him, I made absolutely sure he knew how stupid he was for doing what he did. I thought I had made it clear that he wasn't ready to tackle the dirt track. He needed to regain his strength. Lightning didn't answer me beyond "I'm sorry" every few minutes.

When I finished healing his newest wounds, I marched Lightning to the door. "Get your arse home and go to bed!"

"Yes ma'am." Lightning said, driving straight to the Cozy Cone.

Leland and Mater cautiously approached me. "He just wanted to test his limits, Harley." Mater said. "He's itchin' to git back to racing."

"At least it wasn't that bad of a wreck." Leland added.

"Goodnight, gentlemen." I turned and skated home, leaving them in the dust.

* * *

The next day, I decided to touch up the streaks in my hair. Don't ask me why. They just happened to look faded. Plus, I needed a distraction to help ease my frustration. So I pulled out the hair dye, tin foil, and paintbrushes and got to work in the bathroom. The royal blue of the dye mixed with the rusty brown of my hair resulted in the cobalt blue that matched Dad's paintjob. I didn't bother with gloves. At this point, I really did not care if my fingers were stained for a month. Gathering the faded blue streaks, I painted them over with more dye and wrapped each one in tin foil to set. Sometimes I would use my fingers to brush the dye through my hair.

As I finished, I stared into the eyes of my reflection and analyzed their crystal blue color. They were Doc's eye color. I learned through personal research that eye color is a hereditary gene. Even so, for the longest time, I was convinced everyone in the world had their own unique eye color. That's not the case, obviously. But this shade of blue. What were the odds that Doc and I would both have it? The idea of nature vs. nurture was often debated between me and Finn regarding my relationship with and similarities to Doc.

A knock on the door caused my spy instincts to kick in, and I reached for the gun that would've been in a holster at my hip. Shaking myself out of my spy mindset, I went to answer the door and saw Lightning.

"Harley, what I did was really stupid. Please forgive me." Lightning said.

I sighed. "I should have been more open about this process, Lightning. I don't blame you for being impatient. It's my own fault for—"

"Harley, this is not your fault." Lightning insisted. "Look, I need to get back into the racing scene; and I can't do that without you. I'm so sorry to put this much pressure on you, but we need to work as a team to get through this. Look, whatever I need to do, whatever you think needs to be done, we'll do it. No complaints. No questions. I trust you, Harley."

I stared at Lightning, and I nodded firmly. "Okay. You're on bed rest. Three weeks, maybe four. We'll continue the gradual healing. After bed rest, we get you back into shape. You've got racer instinct on your side. It won't take long to get you back in the game. We are a team, Lightning. Tell me if you want to change anything. For now, I'll take care of you."

Lightning smiled. "You always do. You ready for this?"

I grinned. "Let's do it."


	5. Change Things Up

**A/N: I might be breaking my own personal rules about this, but forgive any grammar and spelling mistakes in this chapter because I was in a hurry to update and didn't proofread.**

* * *

 **Chapter Five – Change Things Up**

 _Three months later_

I glanced at my stopwatch as Lightning finished his tenth lap. A quick calculation in my head told me he was about back to normal. We were on our normal training schedule once more. I watched Lightning do a few cool-down laps, gradually slowing down as he did. There was a look on his face I had seen before. His heart wasn't into the practice. He used to whoop and laugh during drills. But I couldn't remember the last time he said "Ka-chow!"

"How was that, Chief?" Lightning asked when he stopped in front of me.

"Great." I said. "You're doing very well. You'll be ready for racing season in no time."

"Great. Awesome." Lightning cleared his throat. "I think I'm going to get a drink at Flo's. I'll see you in town, okay?"

I barely had a moment to say, "Yeah, sure," before he drove off. I sighed and started skating in the direction of town. Lightning was nowhere to be found when I arrived.

"Hey Harley!" Sally greeted as she drove up. "Have you seen Stickers anywhere?"

"We finished training about half an hour ago." I said.

Sally stared at me in surprise. "It took you half an hour to skate here from Willie's Butte?"

I shrugged. "Guess I wasn't in a hurry."

Sally sighed. "I thought he'd be excited to start racing again. But it seems like he's just going through the motions. He won't talk to me, hasn't gone to Ramone to get his paint done. I don't understand it."

I scanned our surroundings and quickly deduced where Lightning might be. "Let's get to the bottom of this." I guided Sally towards my house, around to the back where Doc's old shed was. Sure enough, we heard something playing inside. It sounded like an announcer or a reporter. Peering through the gaps in the doors, I confirmed my suspicions that Lightning watched old footage of Doc's races. One of the last reels was the race where Dad wrecked so badly he was forced to quit. The film ended, but Lightning didn't move.

"Stickers?" Sally piped up as I pushed open the doors.

"Hey Speed Racer." I greeted.

Lightning slowly reversed to stare at us. "Hey guys."

"You doing okay?" I asked.

Lightning sighed slowly. "To be honest, not really. I mean, look at what happened to Doc. He didn't quit on his own, he was forced to. I don't want what happened to Doc to happen to me."

"So then what do you want to do?" Sally asked.

"Well, I don't want to quit, but I can't keep doing the same thing that hasn't been working." Lightning said.

Sally smiled and nuzzled him. "There's nothing wrong with trying something new."

"Agreed." I nodded. "I told you months ago that you can change things up if you want to. If you think we need to choose a new method of training, then let's do it. What do you want to do?"

Lightning thought for a moment. "I need to call Rust-eze."

In no time at all, we had Rusty and Dusty on the line and the entire town standing behind me and Lightning. _"We're glad to see you out and about, kid."_ Rusty said.

"Thanks, guys." Lightning said. "And Harley and I have been training like usual. But I don't want to do usual anymore. If I'm going to win like I used to, if I'm going to beat Jackson, then I need to start training like him."

" _Say no more, McQueen!"_ Dusty assured. _"Rusty and I have been working on something while you were recovering. Mack's got all the details and the travel plan! As soon as you're ready, he'll bring you out to our new training facility!"_

"New training facility?" I asked.

" _The Rust-eze Racing Center!"_ Rusty said. _"You and Lightning get over here when you can, and we'll show you!"_

Lightning looked to me with a smile. "You up for a road trip?"

"I'll go pack!" I agreed.

* * *

When Lightning was repainted and Mack ready to go, I loaded up with Lightning to check out this new facility. Guido, Luigi, and Leland tagged along.

"I'm interested to see how this will compare to training at Radiator Springs." Leland said.

"It'll be nice to switch things up a little." I agreed. "Lightning and I have been to other training facilities before."

"Yeah, but they were mostly just different tracks and gyms." Lightning said. "Nothing like what Jackson Storm does with those fancy simulators."

"I've done some research on these simulators." Leland said. "Very hi-tech, very sensitive, and very expensive. How on earth did these Rust-eze chaps get such an establishment and such equipment?"

"I guess we'll find out now." Lightning gestured out the window as we approached a large building looking to be back entirely of glass and metal. Mack pulled up in front of the building and Luigi, Guido, and Leland held back the paparazzi so Lightning and I could get inside.

"This place is amazing." I breathed.

"Tell us about it!" Rusty laughed as he and his brother drove up to us.

"This is awesome, you guys!" I laughed. "So fancy. How long have you been working on this?"

"Well, the building was already here. All we did was sell Rust-eze to the owner!" Dusty said.

Lightning and I stared at the rusted cars in surprised. "Wait, you _sold_ Rust-eze?" Lightning asked incredulously.

"Why would you do that?" I asked.

"Because we realized that we can't give you what you need." Rusty shrugged. "So if you want to amp up your game for next season, and this is how to do it, we're happy to support you how we can."

Lightning stumbled a little over his words. "But, guys, how can I—"

"Don't worry about it, kid." Dusty assured. "We did this for you."

"You'll love this Sterling guy." Rusty said. "He's a big fan of yours."

I shared a look with Lightning. We both knew there was no use in arguing. So we sadly walked with Rusty and Dusty to the door. "I can't thank you guys enough." Lightning said. "You guys got me into the racing scene like I wanted. Thank you."

"We had a great run, McQueen." Rusty said. "Thanks for the memories."

"And thanks for your crew chief skills, Harley." Dusty said. "You and your dad were a great part of the team. It's been a pleasure."

"You guys come to Radiator Springs anytime you want." Harley said.

"And remember: don't drive like my brother!" Rusty laughed.

"Don't drive like my brother!" Dusty chortled as the brothers drove off.

"Well, we did say we wanted to mix things up a little." Lightning sighed. "Wonder what this Sterling guy is like."

"Hey!" a voice echoed through the wide room, and Lightning and I turned to a metallic grey car driving down towards us. "There they are! The legendary Lightning McQueen and the awesome Harley Hudson! It is an honor to meet the both of you."

"I'm guessing you're Sterling." I said.

"I am indeed." Sterling said. "I'm a huge racing fan. Been that way since I was a kid. Having the chance to sponsor you, Mr. McQueen, is a dream come true."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sterling." Lightning said.

"You must be quite the fan, huh?" I mused, skating over to a series of panels near the door. There were all sorts of Lightning McQueen memorabilia on them: pictures, pieces of track, and the like.

"My career on a wall." Lightning chuckled in awe.

"You even put Dad up there." I pointed to a small section of wall, dedicated to Doc himself.

"Well you have to include the mentor, especially one as important as the Fabulous Hudson Hornet." Sterling said. "His death left a huge hole in the sport. Which is why everyone was delighted to know he left a legacy behind."

I shrugged, trying to be modest. "He was the real thing. I'm just doing what I can to live up to the expectations." I noticed something below Doc's photo. "What's with the dirt?"

"That's sacred dirt." Sterling explained. "Dirt from the tracks Doc raced on: Florida 500, Thunder Hollow down the road, and our own Fireball Beach just outside."

"You really are a fan." Lightning said. "I've met a lot of fans—mine and Doc's—but you take the cake."

"Thank you." Sterling said. "But I'm not just a fan of racing. I'm a fan of your future. Now why don't we get started with a little paintjob upgrade?"

"How so?" I asked.

* * *

I got my answer when Lightning went into a room and came out with a melt-on body suit, which could track speed and vital signs, along with other fancy upgrades. After that was a tour of the facility, where I could see the extent of the equipment Sterling had at his disposal: treadmills, wind tunnels, virtual reality (which he admitted was still a work-in-progress) and even…..

"Is that the simulator?" Lightning gawked.

"The XDL 24GTS Mark C." Sterling said.

"Whoa." Lightning breathed.

"Whoa." I said, staring at the giant screen where a car pretended to go around a track.

Leland tapped my shoulder. "You all right? You look worried."

"No!" I cleared my throat and put on a smile. "Of course not. I'm fine. This is all really great." I glanced around the facility. "Really, really great." I knew Leland could tell I was lying. But how could I be legitimately happy about this? It just seemed like too much. How would any of this help Lightning get faster?

We watched as the car on the simulator finished at a top speed of 193 miles per hour, and the simulator powered down. The car came off the platform to reveal a yellow racecar with cocoa brown eyes. She accepted the tire bumps from a couple other racers before encouraging them to the treadmills.

"Which racer is that? A rookie?" Lightning asked.

"No, no, she's a trainer." Sterling corrected. "Cruz Ramirez. Best in the business."

"Loosen up! Remember your exercises: you are a fluffy cloud." Cruz said to a racer on the treadmills. She moved to the next one. "Ready for the bugs, Kurt?"

"She's got a great attitude." I mused. "Don't see a smile that bright unless a Ferrari is in Luigi's shop."

"Hey Cruz!" Sterling called. "Come on over here!"

"Hi Mr. Sterling!" Cruz said as she drove over.

"I'd like to introduce you to Lightning McQueen and his chief Harley Hudson." Sterling said.

"Pleasure to meet you." I said.

"I hear you run the show around here." Lightning added.

Cruz giggled a little. "Wow, it is such an honor, Miss Hudson, really. But, Mr. Sterling, did you say Lightning McQueen was here? Because I don't see him."

"Uh, right here." Lightning said, waving a tire.

"Nope. Can't be." Cruz bit her lip to hold back her giggling.

Guido said something in Italian. "I'm confused too, Guido." Luigi agreed.

Cruz started circling Lightning, still smiling brightly. "There is no way this old, broken down car is Lightning McQueen. Look at him! His tires are flabby."

"They are not!" Lightning snapped.

"That's what I'm looking for!" Cruz laughed.

I blinked a few times. "Okay, what's up?"

"Mr. McQueen, this is a dream come true for me." Cruz said. "I grew up watching you race!"

Lightning forced a chuckle. "I'm not that much older than you."

"Sure you're not." Cruz said with a wink. "I mean, these young guys are cool, but I need a challenge! You're that challenge! You're my senior project."

Lightning just stared, apparently unsure how to respond. I cleared my throat to turn Cruz's attention to me. "So I assume you have a good training regime in mind for McQueen? After all, he's not a rookie, he's a veteran racer."

"Of course!" Cruz nodded. "And you're going to be key to that regime, Miss Hudson!" She seemed to catch herself. "Oh, I mean _Chief_ Hudson." Cruz squealed a little in delight. "Come on! Let me show you what I have in mind."

Albeit hesitantly, Lightning followed Cruz with Luigi and Guido close behind. Sterling already left. Before I could follow Lightning, Leland held me back.

"Harley, if this is bothering you, say something." He said. "McQueen will understand. He trusts you."

"But I promised Lightning he could decide how his new training process will go." I said. "Maybe I'm just getting a bad first impression. We should at least give it a chance, right?"

"Yes, but you also shouldn't be afraid to voice your opinion." Leland said.

I shrugged and smiled. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure this will all be fine."

* * *

"This is so not fine!" I growled. "All this hi-tech stuff isn't going to make Lightning faster. If anything, it's just going to be distracting! It's too much! Now, if it does end up helping and I'm wrong, I'll swallow my pride. But I have no faith in this place after what I saw!"

Katherine and Sky were both pulled up on my laptop in a three-way video chat, and they patiently waited for me to finish ranting. _"I'll bet this is frustrating, Harley."_ Katherine said. _"What with McQueen's rather harsh finish last season."_

" _Thanks for the input, Captain Obvious."_ Sky droned.

" _Let me finish."_ Katherine said patiently. _"I was going to say perhaps this dramatic change will be good for Harley and Lightning. Shake things up a little."_

" _I'll admit that I'm partial to Skipper's training techniques."_ Sky said. _"Dusty and I were even able to pick up some stuff from the Jolly Wrenches and Piston Peak. But all this fancy stuff like the simulator?"_

" _I can't even imagine flying on a simulator!"_ Dusty called from somewhere offscreen. _"The last time El Chu took me indoor racing, I nearly crashed into a wall three times!"_

" _That was four times; and I know because I was on you."_ Sky corrected.

"So what am I going to do?" I asked. "How do I tell Lightning that this place is not going to help us? Especially after Rusty and Dusty sacrificed so much to get this."

" _I say take advantage of the new equipment."_ Katherine said. _"But there's no reason you can't train like you normally do."_

" _There are some training drills Dusty and I can do in Propwash Junction and Piston Peak."_ Sky added. _"I'm sure the things you do in Radiator Springs can be done at that fancy joint."_

"I guess." I nodded. "Most of the drills can be done on any track, which is helpful when we travel. But I don't know if I'll be able to work with this Cruz Ramirez."

" _I'm not sure how to respond to this chick either."_ Sky admitted. _"Based on what you've told me, she seems rather inexperienced."_

"She's totally inexperienced!" I agreed. "I've met trainers with ten times more experience than her. It's like she's never spent a minute on a racetrack. I'll bet she's never been in a race before. The best trainers are the ones who were once racers themselves."

" _Perhaps she studied more than you think."_ Katherine said. _"Give her a chance, and I'm sure you two can both make McQueen a better racer."_

" _And, if you're still having issues, Dusty and I will come down to help."_ Sky offered. _"Maybe taking some tips from a flying racer will improve your regime."_

"I'll take that under consideration. But don't go to too much trouble." I said. "I have this under control."

" _If you have this under control, why did you call us to vent?"_ Sky asked.

" _Skylar!"_ Katherine scolded.

" _What?"_ Sky shrugged.

I laughed. Oddly enough, one of the things I loved most about Sky was her bluntness, which had gotten more refined over the years. "I appreciate talking to someone about this. Talking to myself is a little crazy."

" _That's okay!"_ Sky said.

" _Yes, we're all crazy in our own ways."_ Katherine giggled.

"Thanks, guys." I said goodbye to my friends and hung up. Once the laptop was closed, I sighed heavily. "This had better work."


	6. Training Sessions

**Chapter Six – Training Sessions**

After lunch (and my secret rant to my friends), I joined Lightning as Cruz started his training. She invited me to give pointers whenever. When she started the first exercise, though, I stopped myself from saying anything so I wouldn't sound rude.

"First, we gotta loosen up those old joints!" Cruz said encouragingly. Upbeat music, like the kind found in a spin class at a gym, played from a nearby speaker. Cruz bounced on her wheels while Lightning looked baffled. He hesitantly followed Cruz's movements.

"Um, what's the point of this?" Lightning finally asked.

"We're going to work you into the new routine slowly so your old parts don't snap and break!" Cruz said with too much enthusiasm.

"Well that's a little dark." I murmured.

"What was that?" Cruz asked eagerly.

"Nothing!" I said.

"When can I try the simulator?" Lightning asked.

Cruz laughed. "Oh Mr. McQueen, you're so funny." She shut off the music. "Water and potty break! Go, go, go!"

Lightning sped off. Perhaps not for water or the bathroom, but rather to get away and process what just happened. I skated up to Cruz. "Um, Miss Ramirez?"

"Cruz!"

"Cruz, you do realize I've been simultaneously rehabilitating and training McQueen ever since his crash last season. I think we can speed things along."

"You've been in this business for a while, right?" Cruz said. "We can't speed along this process, especially when switching up training regimes. Someone at McQueen's age needs that extra time."

"How old do you think he is?" I asked.

Cruz laughed. "Oh you with your jokes. This is going to be fun!"

* * *

"Good morning, Mr. McQueen! And Miss Hudson, a pleasure to see you on this fine day." Cruz guided us to another part of the facility.

"So what are we doing today?" Lightning asked as Cruz had him park between two metal poles. He yelped when claws grabbed his wheels and undercarriage, hoisting him into the air and tilting him ninety degrees so he faced downward.

"Okay, why?" I asked.

"This is going to get oil places it hasn't been in a long, long, _long_ time." Cruz said. "And just in case…." She pushed a drip pan under McQueen.

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Just relax, Mr. McQueen, and I'll be back in a few." Cruz said as she drove off.

"A few what?" Lightning called after her. "I just want to go on the simulator!"

I giggled a little. "How ya hanging, McQueen?"

"Really? Puns? Right now?" Lightning groaned.

I pulled out my phone and opened the camera. "Smile for Sally."

* * *

During lunch the next day, I had to split my time between eating my own food and reminding Lightning to eat his own. He kept looking longingly towards the simulator.

"Lightning, eat your lunch before I stuff it down your esophagus." I ordered.

"I just thought I'd be on that simulator by now." Lightning pouted.

"Mr. McQueen, you did just arrive." Leland pointed out. "Don't you think you should adjust to your new regime before jumping into something complicated?"

"What's so complicated about the simulator?" Lightning protested.

"Based on observation, it looks like a complex piece of machinery with a—" Leland stopped talking when I cleared my throat.

"I'm sorry, Leland, but are you about to go into a rant about the specific mechanics of the simulator?" I asked. "Do you remember what happens when Lightning gets bored?"

Lightning scoffed. "If you're implying that I fall asleep when—"

"McQueen, you always fall asleep when I start my lectures." Leland said.

"Don't get me wrong, I love talking shop with you, and I've also done my research on this simulator." I told Leland. "But Lightning can't be falling asleep right now." I lit up. "Hey! Leland! You want to help me with something?"

"Why does he get to help you with something and I can't?" Lightning asked.

"Fine, both of you come." I shrugged.

* * *

"Harley! What are you doing?!" Leland asked frantically.

I poked my head out to stare at Leland and Lightning, who stared at me in shock. "What does it look like I'm doing, Leland? Because I think it looks like I'm crawling around the inside of the simulator."

"Harley, get out of that thing before you break it!" Lightning urged.

"Oh I'm fine." I ducked back into the simulator, having picked the lock to the hatch. I crawled around the wires and circuit boards, analyzing the inner workings via my own observation and a few scans with my spy watch. "Man, this is quite the piece of machinery!"

"Um, Miss Hudson?"

I looked to the opening of the simulator and saw Cruz peering inside. "Hello Cruz!"

"What are you doing in there?" Cruz asked curiously.

"I'm a curious explorer by nature." I said as I crawled out of the simulator. "Just getting a look at this thing. I am curious as to how this prepares for a real race."

"Why don't we go on the treadmill first?" Cruz suggested. "Come on, Mr. McQueen!"

Lightning followed Cruz and Leland helped me climb out of the simulator and lock the mechanic's hatch. "Were you also the one who figured out how to hack the C.H.R.O.M.E. computer and send prank video messages to the entire agency?" Leland asked.

"Maybe." I shrugged with a smirk. I skated away, and I heard Leland chuckle. I had to chuckle myself. Finn was equal parts irritated and amused by my antics. When I arrived at the treadmills, I almost couldn't believe what I was seeing. While the three rookies Cruz trained were going a little over one hundred eighty miles an hour, Lightning's treadmill was stuck at five miles per hour.

"Hey Harley." Lightning droned.

"Um, hi." I waved.

Cruz scooted over to park in front of Lightning. "You're doing great, Mr. McQueen! How's that motivation image?"

"While the picture of Jackson Storm is definitely riling me up, this treadmill is only going five miles an hour!" Lightning snapped.

"We have to bring you up so speed gradually or you might break something." Cruz said.

"Why can't I just go on the simulator?" Lightning whined.

"In due time." Cruz said. "Once we're done here, we'll move on to the next exercise."

"Okay, I guess." Lightning sighed.

"Right after your nap." Cruz added.

"What?!" Lightning complained.

"Okay, I'm putting a stop to this." I said. "McQueen, get off that treadmill and head out to the track outside. We're running laps."

"Sounds good." Lightning said, shutting off the treadmill.

"Is that such a good idea?" Cruz asked. "What happens when he gets hurt?"

"That's what psych-man healing is for. Come on, Cruz. Come with us and you can learn a thing or two." I skated towards the exit. "McQueen! To the track! On the double!"

"Her uncle is a police sheriff. And her other uncle was in the army."

"I heard that, McQueen!"

Once we were outside, I set McQueen up on the track and let him loose. Cruz actually did come park next to me and watch.

" _Is that enough warm-up laps?"_ Lightning asked over the radio.

"Yeah, you're good." I said. "You did spend like half an hour going slowly on a treadmill. Okay, remember the drill: ten laps at a hundred miles an hour, five laps at top speed. Ten reps each exercise, alternating between the two." I stood by the starting line and raised an arm. "Ready?" I watched Lightning pick up speed as he came down the track. At the moment he reached me, I lowered my arm in a firm chopping motion. "Go!"

Lightning sped off with his engine roaring. I watched him, relaxed, and allowed my eyes to take in every detail of his run: how he moved, how he sped up and slowed down, and how his smile seemed to get wider and wider with every lap.

"Whoa." Cruz breathed.

"Impressive, huh?" I mused. "This is what happens when you let him loose and allow him to show his stuff."

Cruz hadn't stopped staring in awe. "It's like being front and center to one of his races."

* * *

I had hoped that seeing Lightning at his top speed would encourage Cruz to change up her ridiculous training regime. But the moment we got back to the center the next day, it was back to the slow treadmill, stupid exercises, and naps. Cruz even tried to get Lightning to name his four tires. Meanwhile, Lightning was more eager than ever to get on the simulator.

After a week of such silliness, I was ready to drag Lightning back to Radiator Springs. I couldn't believe Mr. Sterling himself wasn't stopping this. Though, as I glanced to his viewpoint on a catwalk above me, it was clear he wasn't exactly impressed. I looked back to Lightning, who looked positively bored to death at his slow run on the treadmills. Cruz kept calling encouragement in that cheery voice of hers, which started to get on my nerves.

I decided to walk outside for some fresh air. It was foggy this morning. I breathed in deeply through my nose. I loved the feeling of inhaling crisp cold air. The sensation was like a wake-up call to my senses. It was refreshing.

"Everything all right?" Leland asked as he stood beside me.

"Thanks for asking instead of just going right to the advice-giving." I said.

Leland chuckled. "I like that you notice how observant I am."

"I appreciate you respecting my desire to solve my own problems." I said. "To be honest, though, I could use some advice."

"Go ahead." Leland said.

"How do I tell Cruz that she's wasting our time and this is all totally stupid?" I asked.

Leland scratched his head. "Hmm, tough one."

"I know I should be open to this and put aside my concerns—"

"Oh, you shouldn't do that. You should feel comfortable with voicing your concerns. There's no need to complain, but you can talk to Cruz about blending your techniques."

"Yeah, I tried that." I sighed. "Cruz hardly listened to a word I said, and she went right back to her stupid routines the very next minute."

"Then be firm." Leland said. "If you've tried everything else."

I nodded in thanks. "Good idea, Leland."

* * *

The next day, I woke up to the sound of rain pattering against my window. I bolted upright with a gasp. "Yes! Awesome!" I hurriedly dressed and strapped on my skates. As I sped toward and then through the training center, I had to swerve around, duck under, and hop over obstacles like desks, trailers, and cars and people. I skid to a halt in the center and found Lightning doing his exercises with Cruz.

"Hey Harley!" Lightning called I hurried over. "What's got you so excited?"

"It's raining outside!" I said excitedly.

"Oh, cool." Lightning looked a little confused.

"No, you don't get it." I leaned on Lightning's hood and looked him in the eyes. "It's _raining_ outside."

Lightning's eyes widened in realization. "Oh! Sweet!"

"Come on! Mr. Sterling said there's a huge field out back that we can use! And it's absolutely muddy!" I bounced a little on my skates.

"Mr. McQueen, I must protest." Cruz said. "You? Out in the mud? That would be a one-way track to a crash. What if you fall and can't get up?"

"He'll be fine." I insisted. "Come on, Lightning!"

"But Miss Hudson—" Cruz protested.

"That's _Chief_ Hudson!" I snapped. I pointed to myself. "Chief." I pointed to Cruz. "Trainer. I outrank you. Ergo, when I say 'we're going outside,' that means immediately unless I state another time. Now you can either join us or stay in here and avoid getting your pristine tires all dirty." I skated off towards the doors.

"Hey, Chief Hudson!" I turned to see Cruz's other three rookies driving up to me. They looked hopeful, like three kids about to ask for extra dessert.

"Mind if we join your outdoor exercise?" one of the rookies asked.

"If you think you can handle it." I laughed as I skated off. The rookies cheered and followed me.

Leland stopped me at the doors. "Have you noticed that you were a little harsh?" He gestured back into the center. I noticed Cruz looking a little hurt, but she quickly put on a smile and waved.

"You said to be firm." I said.

"I said 'firm,' not 'mean.'" Leland corrected.

"Well, she wasn't listening anyway." I huffed as I skated away.

Once outside, I pulled off my roller skates and socks and left them at the door. I met Lightning and the other rookies in the middle of the muddy field. I carried a yellow scarf, tying it around my waist.

"Okay, gentlemen." I paced back and forth before them. "This is a technique my dad taught me. In a real race, you'll be jockeying for position, dodging obstacles at time, and working to control yourself on the track. Being a racer requires more than speed. You need agility, a keen eye taking in your surroundings, and quick reflexes." I held up the yellow scarf. "This is your target. Well, technically, I'm your target. But in order to catch me, you have to grab this scarf. There is no track, just the open field. You catch me, you win. On your mark, get set, go!"

The racecars kicked up mud as they shot towards me. A few seconds before they reached me, I crouched down and leaped straight up into the air, doing a backflip as I did. The rookies stared at me in surprise as they passed under me. They and Lightning slipped around a bit as they stopped and turned to face me. I landed on my feet and turned to them.

"Let's do this!" Lightning cheered. He and the racers came at me again. The benefit of being barefoot was that I could dig my toes into the mud and have more traction than the racers. Which means while they slipped and slid across the mud and grass, I could better dodge them and their attempts to snatch the scarf and me. I certainly wasn't afraid to slide across the mud like a baseball player hitting home base. Meanwhile, the racers got covered in mud and even did some spins while trying to catch me.

In a mighty trick move, Lightning managed to fool me into going a certain way, which allowed him to turn right around and grab the scarf. I slipped in the mud and landed on my tailbone.

"All right!" Lightning cheered. "Go me!"

"Yeah, yeah. Be modest, will you?" I laughed. "Come on, gentlemen. Time to hose down." I led them to the outdoor car wash, picking out the nearest hose and switching up the nozzle settings.

"Enjoy the cold water, fellas!" Lightning called.

"Oh, you're not getting out of this, either." I sprayed water at Lightning, hitting him in the bumper.

Lightning yelped. "Hey! The winner gets a warm bath while everyone else gets a hose-down! That's the rule!"

"Rules are meant to be broken." I shrugged. I sprayed him again.

"Well then you're not getting out it!" Lightning grabbed another hose and shot water at me. I jumped out of the way, and the water hit one of the rookies.

"Hey!" the rookie grabbed another hose, and the other two cars did the same. They began shooting water, and an all-out water war began. By the end of it, we were all soaking wet and cold.

"That was so much fun!" one of the rookies laughed.

"A-a-and c-c-c-c-cold." Another one shivered. In fact, all of us shivered.

"Okay, _now_ we can take warm baths." I said.

"Or how about we go chill in the sauna?" one of the rookies suggested.

"A sauna?" Lightning asked excitedly.

We passed by Cruz on the way back in. "What happened to all of you?" Cruz asked, staring at us with a slack-jawed expression.

"We had a mud fight!" a rookie laughed.

"And it was so awesome!" a second said.

"Why don't we ever have fun like that?" the third asked.

"Hey, I can be fun!" Cruz huffed.

"Well your training exercises are quite humorous at times." I admitted. "You've got a lot of energy."

"Hey!" Cruz snapped. "I mean, thanks." She looked confused. "Wait, was that a compliment?"

* * *

As I expected, once Lightning and the other rookies warmed up and dried off, it was back to Cruz's ridiculous regime. I could hardly stand to watch it. She was trying yet again to get Lightning to do the aerobic exercises. But he clearly wasn't into it, as usual.

I rubbed my temple. When my phone rang, I answered with a dull tone, "Chief Hudson speaking."

" _You sound so perky."_ Sky laughed on the other end of the line.

I smiled a little. "Hey Sky, what's up?"

" _Just checking in. Ever since you called to complain about this new facility and the trainer in charge, I've been thinking about you."_ Sky said. _"Things any better now?"_

"Well we did have fun at the mud romp yesterday." I shrugged. "But that's about it."

" _A mud romp?"_ Sky repeated. _"What's that?"_

"Training exercise my dad came up with." I said.

" _Sweet! Can Dusty and I borrow it sometime?"_ Sky requested.

"I guess, but I think it's more suited to cars than planes." I chuckled.

" _Fair enough."_ Sky said. _"How's McQueen doing?"_

"He's….." I noticed Lightning heading for the simulator, ignoring Cruz's calls. "Sky, I'll call you back."

" _Wait, what?"_ I heard Sky ask before I hung up.

I quickly skated up to Lightning and skated backwards to better look him in the eye. "Hey Speed Racer. Convince Cruz to let you on the simulator?"

"No. But I'm going on anyway." Lightning said.

I remembered what Leland said about not being afraid to voice my concerns. "Um, Lightning? Do you think that maybe this isn't working? I don't fully approve of Cruz's methods, and all this fancy junk seems like far too much."

"If this is the way Storm trains, it's how I will." Lightning said.

"That's the other thing I'm worried about." I added. "No matter how good Jackson seems, the simulator is not a good way to practice for a race. The simulator is not going to prepare you for real asphalt and real walls and real racers pushing to get past you."

"Won't know until we try." Lightning said as he drove up onto the platform for the simulator.

"Mr. McQueen…." Cruz said as she tried to protest.

"Hey!" Sterling called from the catwalk. "Finally on the simulator, I see."

"That's right, Mr. Sterling!" Lightning called with a semi-smug smirk pointed at Cruz.

Cruz still looked unsure. I didn't feel sure, either. But I sighed and nudged Cruz. "You better just do what he wants, Ramirez. No talking him out of it."

Cruz sighed in resignation and turned on the simulator. Lightning jumped a little when clamps from the platform hooked onto his tires. "Wait, what's it doing?" The simulator started up, the automated voice speaking and the screen turning on. the platform raised several feet. "What's going on?" Lightning didn't look confident anymore.

"Just start driving." Cruz called.

"I have faith in you!" I added. I lowered my voice to a mutter. "Though I'm losing faith in this plan."

Lightning tried, but he kept wobbling on the platform. "This doesn't feel right." he whimpered.

" _You have hit a wall."_ The simulator voice said.

"Just relax." Cruz said.

" _You have hit a wall."_ The simulator voice said again.

"Lightning, just treat it like a treadmill." I noticed Lightning getting more and more anxious.

" _You have hit a wall."_

"Get me off this thing!" Lightning suddenly jerked himself free from the restraints of the platform, and he shot forward and hit the simulator screen. The screen's image fuzzed out into static and then shut off. In fact, a sort of power surge apparently spread from the simulator to the reset of the facility, causing a blackout.

I turned on the flashlight on my phone and skated around to the back of the simulator. I could see Lightning's front fender sticking through the back of the machine. "Speed Racer? Are you okay?"

Lightning groaned. "I hit a wall. I have hit a wall."


	7. Beach Lessons

**Chapter Seven – Beach Lessons**

"Of all the stupid, ill-conceived, downright ridiculous things you could've done!" I snapped. "I think that was your greatest screw-up yet!"

"Would you keep it down?" Lightning hissed, glancing to the doors to Sterling's office. "Cruz and Mr. Sterling will hear you!"

"Good!" I growled. "Honestly, McQueen, that was so dumb! I can't believe how bad you messed things up."

Lighting sighed heavily. "You think Mr. Sterling is angry at me?"

"Probably." I said. "I just hope we'll be able to pay him back for ruining the simulator. The good news is I think he'll just need to pay for the new screen. I've done enough research to know how to fix the internal mechanics. At least, I hope so."

Cruz exited Sterling's office, casting a forlorn glance at Lightning. "Mr. McQueen, Chief Hudson, come on in!" Sterling called.

Lightning and I entered the spacious, circular office, and I nudged Lightning to encourage him. "I'm really sorry, Mr. Sterling."

"Don't fret and fuss over the simulator, Mr. McQueen." Sterling assured. "It can be fixed. I wanted you two to see me for a very important reason."

"On that note, I've wanted to talk to you about Lightning's training." I said.

"Right. But first….." Sterling gestured to one side of the office, and Lightning and I suddenly noticed heaps of Lightning McQueen merchandise.

"Whoa." Lightning and I breathed at once.

"You are about to become the biggest name in racing." Sterling explained. "Movie deals, product endorsement, commercials, you name it. Every country, every demographic. The most widespread brand in the racing circuit. This will be your legacy."

"Uh, brand?" I asked. "Mr. Sterling, this all sounds like something for an actor, not an athlete."

"Yeah, no offense, but 'legacy' seems like something a racer does after he retires." Lightning said. "Mr. Sterling, cut to the chase. What is this about?"

Sterling sighed in resignation. "McQueen, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to race you this season."

"What?" Lightning and I asked simultaneously.

"Now, listen to me." Sterling said calmly. "I was so excited to work with you, the both of you. I'm one of your biggest fans. But your speed and performance don't match the hype. I thought you were going to be the great comeback story of the year, but you haven't shown your best potential. I'm sorry."

"Mr. Sterling, that's speed and performance on a simulator and treadmills and out in the muddy field." I protested.

"Think about your last crash, and all the mishaps that happened during training." Sterling told Lightning. "You can't keep damaging yourself, especially when you lose races."

"You mean damaging the brand." Lightning corrected bitterly.

"Lightning, this is the reward after all the hard work you've done over the years." Sterling said, gesturing to the merchandise. "We're going to be rich beyond our dreams, and it's all thanks to the great work you've done as a racer. Accept your retirement and be content knowing you can live comfortably for the rest of your days."

" _Racing_ is the reward!" Lightning protested. "I don't want to settle with what I've earned. I'm proud of what I've earned and how it positively affected the people I love, but I race because I love to do it. I love going two hundred miles an hour, inches away from the other guys, pushing myself to go faster than I've ever driven before! That experience is what I get when I race, and I don't need a bunch of stuff or money to be satisfied."

Sterling sighed, driving off to stare out the window. "Lightning, your racing days are over. I know it's hard to leave, but you have to accept the next stage of your life. Chief Hudson, I would advise you to accept Storm's or Tex's offer if you wish to continue being a crew chief."

"I think I can decide for myself what I will do, and Lightning can do the same." I said firmly. "Mr. Sterling, I've been meaning to talk to you about the training; and, to be frank, I don't think this is what Lightning needs to get better. But you have inspired us to try new things to get him into the zone."

"Let me train my way. Let me train Doc's way, and I'll prove to you that I have what it takes." Lightning pleaded. "Come on, that big comeback story is still doable. It's a risk, but I think you like that risk. You seem like the kind of car who likes that kind of thing. Give me one chance. I win in Florida, I decide when I'm done. If I lose, I'll sell all the mud flaps you got."

Sterling took a moment to think about it. His eyes flickered back and forth between me and Lightning. "Mr. McQueen, I'll talk to your crew chief alone now."

"Lightning can make his own decisions." I protested.

"No, it's okay." Lightning reassured me. "I don't mind you speaking for me. You know what's in my best interests." Lightning drove off and shut the doors behind him.

"Okay, Chief, tell me honestly: do you think Lightning has what it takes?" Sterling asked.

"Yes." I nodded without hesitation.

"Think carefully." Sterling said. "I asked to talk to you alone because you are not going to be biased. Does Lightning have what it takes?"

"Yes." I repeated. "All he needs is to get his tires dirty. We'll race on any track that stands between us and Florida. In fact, I think we'll start with Fireball Beach. You let me train him the way Doc did, and he'll be ready to go in no time. He'll win."

Sterling stared at me. "But can you guarantee it?"

I didn't want to answer right away, so he'd know I was serious. "I can. I have faith in Lightning's abilities and Doc's training techniques. Let us go our own way. You trust me, don't you?"

Sterling finally smiled a little. "Okay. I do trust you, Chief Hudson. I think you can take Lightning and make him a winner again. You and your team have my permission to go and do training your way."

"Thank you, Mr. Sterling." I said gratefully. "We won't let you down."

"But," Sterling made me pause before I could get to the door. "I have one condition: Cruz Ramirez is going with you."

"Not a chance." I huffed.

"I want someone from my team keeping an eye on things and updating me in case you forget." Sterling said. "Take it or leave it, Chief."

Cruz got on my nerves, and I didn't want to deal with the trouble of having her tag along on our training. But what other choice did I have? I sighed through my nose. "Fine. Deal."

* * *

As I expected, Lightning wasn't pleased to see Cruz driving towards us as we waited on Fireball Beach the next day. She lugged a heavy-looking trailer behind her.

"You talked him into it!" Cruz cheered. "That's great! With your persuasion skills, you could talk a snow plow into the desert!"

"That is an American idiom I am not familiar with." Leland mused.

"Why is she here?" Lightning asked me.

"Because Sterling wanted someone from his team to help keep an eye on things." I sighed. "Which means I won't be able to use my spy watch or other gadgets to track your speed. We'll have to rely on what she has."

Cruz finally made it to us, and she unhooked the trailer. "What a beautiful location for training! And it's a gorgeous day!" She pressed a button, and the trailer slowly unfolded to reveal a treadmill. "Just let me get this treadmill up and running and we'll get started!"

"What?" Lightning scoffed. "No way! The whole point is to get my tires dirty. No more treadmills."

Cruz looked surprised and disappointed. The treadmill finally unfolded, and she reluctantly pressed a button to close it. "And Chief Hudson will be right there to administer first aid if you fall?"

"He's not going to fall." I droned. "Just park yourself right here and track his speed. Ready, Lightning?"

Lightning sat behind a line drawn in the sand. "Ready!"

"From here to that pier!" I ordered, pointing to the wooden pathway far down the beach.

"On your mark! Get set! Go!" Luigi cheered, waving a green flag. Lightning sped off, kicking up sand. I grinned widely at the sight. That was the Lightning McQueen I liked to see. He whooped and laughed as he passed under the docks. He drove back to us with a wide smile on his lips.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Lightning laughed. "Cruz! What was my speed?"

"I don't know." Cruz shrugged. "I can't track your speed unless you're on the treadmill."

Pretty much the entire team stared at Cruz with deadpan looks. "Seriously?" I said. "You don't have a speed gun or whatever those things are police use to track speed?"

"No, but we can use Hamilton!" Cruz's headlight suddenly blinked.

" _I am Hamilton, your personal track assistant."_ The male voice said from her radio speaker.

"Hamilton can track your speed while I drive alongside you." Cruz said.

"Okay, fine." Lightning said. He and Cruz went to the starting line.

"On your mark, get set, go!" Luigi called.

Lightning sped off, and I cheered for him. But then I noticed something: Cruz hadn't even moved from her spot. Lightning soon figured that out, too, and stopped himself. Cruz tried to move again, but her tires just kicked up sand and sent her back end fishtailing.

"Is this a joke to you?" I demanded.

"I don't know why this is happening." Cruz said.

Lightning returned to Cruz's side. "This isn't asphalt or a treadmill. You have to let your tires catch and grip the sand before you go. Ease into your start, okay?"

"Okay." Cruz nodded.

"One would think a trainer would already know this." I pointed out.

"We don't train outside." Cruz protested.

"Whatever. Luigi, call it." I ordered.

At Luigi's call and flag wave, the cars took off. Cruz managed to stay next to Lightning, but only until about a third of the way down the track, where she veered off-course and got stuck in the loose sand closer to the grass. In fact, she did the same thing the next time except she ended up in the water. The next time, she slipped on the wet sand and spun out of control. Then she dug herself into a hole, literally, and we had to spend two hours digging her out.

By then, Luigi's "read, set, go" had much less vigor. Lightning was irritated by constantly having to teach Cruz rudimentary racing skills. I was at the end of my rope, and I marched up to Cruz as she drove out of the hole via a ramp dug in the sand. She shrunk down under my glare.

"You _have_ spent time on a legitimate track, yes?" I demanded.

"Of course." Cruz said.

"What kinds?" I asked, arms crossed.

"You know, the normal kind." Cruz shrugged.

"You mean an asphalt track? A smooth track that doesn't have cracks or potholes because they're always filled when they appear?" I kicked some sand at her, and she reversed to avoid it. " _This_ is a real track. This is what tests a racer's ability to control themselves. Racers are machines of speed, but that speed means nothing if you can't control yourself on different turfs."

"I know that." Cruz assured.

"Really? You don't act like it!" I snapped. "Why do you think I took Lightning out to drive around in the mud? If he can control his movements on mud and sand, he can improve on an asphalt track. You're supposed to know this. You're a trainer. Now start acting like one!" I stepped aside and pointed to the starting line, and Cruz sheepishly drove over to park next to Lightning. Luigi sent them off again while I stood with Leland and Guido.

"Harley, you need to stop being so harsh on her." Leland said soothingly. "She's doing her best."

"Her best isn't good enough, and it's hindering us instead of helping." I said.

"But there's a way you can express that without sounding so harsh." Leland said. "It looks like she hasn't had the same experience you have."

"Hardly any at all." I scoffed.

Leland stared at me with a small frown. "Harley—"

"Look, this isn't just Lightning's last chance! It's mine, too!" I growled at him.

"Last chance to do what?" Leland asked. "To be his crew chief?"

"Obviously." I rolled my eyes as I watched Cruz go face-first into the surf.

"I'm sorry." Leland said. "It's just that you never made it clear that was what you wanted."

I opened my mouth, but I couldn't make a sound. So I kept watching Lightning and Cruz try to drive alongside each other. Leland did have a point, I guess. Though I committed myself to helping Lightning get back into the game, I never confirmed that it was because I wanted to keep being a crew chief. I'm doing this for Lightning, which means I'm doing it for me, too.

Right?

* * *

"This is our last run before it gets dark." Lightning said. "Choose a _straight_ line on the _compacted_ sand and let your tires grip the sand before you take off. And remember that all the crabs have gone night-night."

"Mr. McQueen." Cruz scoffed.

"You're the one who didn't want to run over it because it was cute." I pointed out.

"It was kind of cute." Luigi mused. Guido agreed.

"Ready, go!" I shouted.

Lightning and Cruz took off. This time, they stayed close enough to each other that Cruz could track Lightning's speed all the way to the pier. Luigi, Guido, and Leland cheered. I sighed in relief. It took all day, but we finally got something done.

However, Lightning and Cruz looked dejected when they returned. "What's wrong?" Leland asked.

"His top speed was one-ninety-eight. Still slower than Storm." Cruz said.

"This day was a total waste." Lightning grumbled as he drove towards the road. The rest of us followed.

"I'll bet you got up to two hundred at least once." I said encouragingly. "We would know for sure if _somebody_ could actually drive on sand and didn't worry so much about the wellbeing of crabs."

"I'm guessing you're _not_ a vegetarian?" Cruz said in a snarky tone.

"I care about the crabs, but I care more about Lightning right now." I countered.

Cruz sighed, and she put on a smile. "Well, look on the bright side: it was pretty cool to do some real racing out here."

"This wasn't real racing." Lightning protested. "Going straight on a beach doesn't help me get faster. I need to do something with lots more cars and…" He trailed off, staring at a sign. I stood next to him and saw two directions: one leading to Gudgeon Pines, and the other to Thunder Hollow.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked him.

"That's a legit dirt track! I'll bet they have open races on the weekends." Lightning said. "Sign up for just one and I'll be picking up speed."

"Plus you'll have more than Cruz to compete with." I added.

"No!" Luigi protested. "It's too public."

"Paparazzi." Guido huffed.

"They have a point." Leland agreed. "The press will only get in the way. If they hear you're outside the secured training facility, they'll swarm like pigeons to a pile of breadcrumbs."

"The whole point is to get on different tracks." I said. "Lightning's right. He needs to up the ante."

"Competing against other racers, even amateurs at a local track, will kick my instincts into gear and rev up my adrenaline." Lightning said. "I need this."

"Don't sweat it, kid." Mack assured. "I've got a plan."


	8. Thunder Hollow

**Chapter Eight – Thunder Hollow**

Arriving at Thunder Hollow, we decided to hide out until it was time for the race. That would decrease the chances someone recognized us. I had an old sweatshirt and beanie hat in the trailer. I left my skates in the trailer and pulled on a pair of hiking boots. This time, I would be racing right alongside him. I had something to keep me with Lightning.

Stepping outside Mack's disguised trailer, I saw Luigi giving Lightning a mud bath to cover every inch of red paint on him. I snickered as I tucked my hair into my beanie. "Lookin' good, Mud Boy."

"It's actually Chester Whipplefilter, tonight." Lightning said. "Ready to rock, partner?"

"You bet." I agreed.

"I have a few concerns about you going out on that track." Leland said. "You've never been in a race before, Harley. Training doesn't count."

"Don't worry." I reassured him. "Look, there are tons of psyche humans out here. Plus, I have these." I held up four thick rubber bands with circular magnets on them.

"What are those?" Cruz asked.

"These are the special racing magnets psych-man racers use to help stay on their vehicle." I explained, stuffing the magnets in my sweatshirt pocket. "Most prefer to be strapped on so they aren't thrown off the car, but these will let me hop on and off McQueen during the race, just in case it gets rough."

"That doesn't make me feel better." Leland groaned.

"Relax." I said. "It'll be fine. I'll stay with Lightning the entire time. You know, unless I'm thrown off." I laughed at Leland's horrified expression. "I'm kidding!"

"You don't need extra padding?" Mack asked. "Even a helmet?"

"Nah. I'm good." I said. "But for the mud, I have these." I held up a pair of goggles that fit over my glasses.

Leland looked around. "Why are all the other psych-mans wearing not only helmets but also heavy padding?"

"Because they're wimps." Lightning scoffed. "Now let's go!"

Lightning and I headed for the track. Thunder Hollow was a small town in the middle of the forest. So far out in the wilderness, the next nearest town was a good thirty miles out. These were country folk we passed as we neared the track, so I felt right at home. I did wonder about all the padding on the psyche humans, not to mention to gaudy paintjobs on some of the cars whom I assumed were racers. But who was I to judge?

"Excuse me!" Lightning said as we approached someone with the Thunder Hollow logo on their flank. "Is this where we check in?"

"Yeah. You two racers?" the official stared at us skeptically.

"Yep! Name's Chester Whipplefilter." Lightning introduced.

"I'm…..Cruz Ramirez." I introduced, smirking at Lightning who cast me a weird look. I shrugged at him, albeit sheepishly. In all the preparation for incognito racing, I didn't take the time to figure out a good alias.

"And I'm Francis Beltline." The real Cruz said as she appeared next to us. She barely had any mud on her. Though, since she wasn't well-known, I guess that made sense.

"What are you doing here?" Lightning demanded.

"I'm your trainer." Cruz shrugged.

"But you—" Lightning tried to protest.

"Let her come. Maybe she'll learn a thing or two." I said. "By the way, where are the other racers?"

"They'll be along." The official said. "We always like our guests to go on first." He chuckled, a little too mischievously for my liking, as he drove off.

The lights suddenly shut off, and music blared from the speakers. _"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Thunder Hollow Speedway! And a very special welcome to our guests, a couple first-timers at the Crazy 8 Derby!"_

"Did he say 'Crazy Eight'?" Lightning repeated.

"He also said 'derby.'" I noted. "This isn't what I think it is, is it?"

Based on the lights and sounds, plus the columns of flames shooting from tires around the track, it was. This wasn't a dirt track for racing anymore. It had become a demolition derby.

"I was wrong about this place. Let's get out of here!" Lightning led the way back to the gate, but the official shut and locked it before we could leave.

"Rule One: you enter the track, you race." The official said.

Suddenly, one of the staff spray-painted a number on Cruz's side. "Whoa, wait! I'm not a racer!"

"Rule Two: last car and human standing wins." The official continued. "Rule Three: no cussing. It's Family Night."

"Wait, sir!" My shout fell on deaf ears as the official drove off.

"I'm just a trainer!" Cruz protested.

" _And now give a warm welcome to our reigning champion!"_ The announcer called. _"She's the Boss Bus. She rules in school! She's the toughest lady this side of the Mississippi!"_

"Old lady school bus. Maybe this won't be so bad." I shrugged hopefully.

" _Miss Fritter!"_

A school bus did indeed barrel onto the track, followed by a couple other cars. But this bus had devil-like horns, license plates strung up along her sides, and plenty more scary additions. The crazed look in her eye only made it worse.

"Nope." I gulped. "I was wrong."

"Look at these guys!" Fritter laughed. "Not a scratch on 'em." She revved her engine, and Lightning, Cruz, and I jumped back. "We'll be sure to fix that!"

"Move, Cruz!" Lightning urged. The three of us took off as even more cars flooded the area. Before we knew it, we were in the middle of a full-on, figure-eight derby. As the cars and psyche humans moved in the figure-eight track, there was just as much swerving as there was crashing. Suddenly I understood why the psyche humans had so much padding. Even the ones actually paired with a car didn't stay with their vehicle partner half the time. The powers of these psych-mans were more advanced. They did things like give extra speed to their cars or control the elements around them. All I had was the force fields. I only had defensive powers.

Which, actually, might be what saves my skin.

I hopped onto Lightning and used the magnets on my hands and boots to hang on. "Where's Cruz?"

"I don't know!" Lightning said. "I lost track of her when the race started!"

"This ain't a race!" I snapped. "This is a freaking death trap!"

Lightning and I soon spotted Cruz hiding behind some tires. That was about the worst place she could hide, seeing how the tires seemed to be attached to flame spouts that exploded whenever the announcer wanted. Lightning sped over. "Cruz, what are you doing? Move!"

"I can't!" Cruz gulped. "I shouldn't be out here!"

"You have to move or you'll be crushed!" I warned. Looking up, I saw a car flying right towards us. "Heads up!"

Lightning and Cruz sped off. But, just like on Fireball Beach, Cruz couldn't maneuver like the other cars. She soon fell behind me and Lightning, and disappeared in the chaos.

"Harley, you gotta find her!" Lightning urged. "I'll be fine, but Cruz won't stand a chance unless you protect her!"

"You're sure?" I asked.

"You're saying you don't think Cruz will be massacred out here?" Lightning asked me.

I thought for a moment. "Good point. Okay, stay safe!"

"You too!" Lightning slowed down just enough to ensure I could land safely when I jumped off him. I'm certainly glad I left my skates on the truck. I didn't think about what it would feel like to be right in the middle of the race. This was nothing like sitting in the pits and watching the cars. Of course, this was nothing like any race I had ever been to. Cruz could hardly get her tires to grip sand. This was dirt and a whole lot of mud in the middle of the arena. If I didn't help her, she'd be a cube of metal and tires.

I noticed several psyche humans suddenly surrounding me. "Check out this, fellas!" one of them laughed. "Not even a helmet. Think you're pretty tough, huh?"

It was then I remembered that I didn't have any kind of padding, just goggles so I could see. I only had a split-second to curse myself before the psych-mans tried to attack me. I put up a force field to protect myself. "What the heck is wrong with you? Shouldn't you be with your cars?"

"The goal is to knock out the cars and the humans." One of the psych-mans shrugged. "Now are you gonna come out and play or hide in that blue bubble?" The psyche humans let out another round of attacks, mostly consisting of mud and water. My mind raced. How do I turn my defensive power into an offense?

A blue bubble…

"Okay, let's try this!" I jumped up, manipulating the force field to make a full bubble under my feet. "Great! Okay, this is good! Like a giant hamster ball." I ran towards the nearest psyche human, dropping my shield only when he stopped attacking out of surprise at seeing me charging. Spy training was about to come in handy: an uppercut to the psych-man's jaw and a sweep at his legs took care of him, and I put up my force field hamster ball again to stop another round of attacks. I repeated the action with the other psyche humans. The last few psych-mans ran off to avoid my wrath, returning to their vehicle partners. Race staff came to get the other psych-mans who were defeated so they wouldn't get run over.

" _And Cruz Ramirez dominates the field, knocking out nearly all of the psych-man players with some sweet moves!"_ the announcer called. I blushed a little when the crowd cheered for me. I ran off to find the actual Cruz, and she nearly ran me over when we crossed paths in the middle of the figure eight track. I spun around to chase after her, dodging other cars on the way. Miss Fritter was heading right for Cruz, but I put on a burst of speed and jumped off a stack of tires. I kicked Miss Fritter's wheels to one side, forcing her to swerve and avoid Cruz. I pushed off Fritter's front bumper and landed on Cruz's hood.

"What are you doing?!" Cruz shouted frantically as she kept driving.

"Trying to keep you alive!" I retorted, climbing up to her roof.

"No, wait!" Cruz whimpered. "I don't know—"

"Cruz, you drive me crazy, but I don't want to see you hurt!" I shouted. "Do as I say, and we're going to be fine!"

Cruz gulped as I took my position. My magnets kept me on Cruz's roof. "Okay, now what?"

"Just drive!" I ordered. "I'm going to protect you as much as I can."

Cruz did as I said. We dodged other cars and the chaos all around us. Cars smashed into each other and they and the psych-mans were thrown all over the place. Anytime a psyche human was beaten or thrown off a car, they would either run out of the arena or be pulled out by track staff. One of the psych-mans was thrown clear out of the arena and landed in the crowd, miraculously unharmed.

While Lightning turned easily on dirt, Cruz struggled and nearly spun out. "Turn right to go left, Cruz!" I shouted.

"That doesn't make sense!" Cruz protested.

"Turn your wheels left first, and then turn your wheels to the right and skid!" I said quickly.

"Okay." Cruz gave it a try. "Turn right to go left." But she still couldn't get a good grip on the dirt, and she spun a few times before getting stuck in the mud. While I tried to push her out, another car sped past us and was quickly flipped by Miss Fritter. The demonic school bus set her sights on me and Cruz, the latter being the only car left besides Lightning (wherever he went). The crowd was going crazy, chanting Fritter's name while on the edge of their seats.

"Run." A nearby wrecked car whispered to me and Cruz.

"Oh boy." Cruz gulped.

"Move! Move!" I desperately shoved Cruz's side, my boots slipping in the mud. Cruz couldn't move much in the mud. A makeshift saw popped out of Miss Fritter's side, and she charged for us like a flaming, cackling, yellow bull. I suddenly slipped and landed face-first in the mud. My goggled were coated, and I had no idea what was happening. I heard Lightning's voice, and felt the whoosh of air as Fritter narrowly shot past us. She yelped, and then apparently fell over. I desperately wiped the mud from my goggles and could just make out what had happened through the streaks of dirt. Lightning managed to push Cruz away, and she had scurried off. Fritter was trying to get up again, growling at Lightning, who couldn't drive away because Fritter's saw had come off and was imbedded between his fender and his now-flat tire.

"Harley!" Lightning yelped. "Help me!"

"Just hang on!" I pushed against his back bumper while his tires spun uselessly in the mud, spraying me with gunk. Fritter managed to get on her tires again. She sped towards us, practically roaring. I grabbed the saw stuck on Lightning and wrenched it out. The magnet straps on my hands protected me from cuts, and Lightning sped off. But he went so fast that he crashed into tires, which spilled out and tripped Miss Fritter. She spun around to charge for me this time. I summoned a force field to protect myself.

"What's the matter?" Fritter taunted. "All the other psych-mans came at me! You afraid to come out from behind that bubble?"

Several other psych-mans did indeed face off against Fritter. She evidently knew how to hold back enough to rough up the psych-man, but not kill them. I usually wouldn't give in to taunting. This time, though, she got on my last nerve.

"Bubbles aren't so bad, you know." I said. "Why don't you try it?" I pushed the force field forward, and it seemed to flip over and catch a very surprised Miss Fritter. I pushed my hands forward, and the bubble rolled away, carrying Fritter with it. The bubble went up a ramp of tires and disappeared, which left Fritter flying through the air and crashing into a wooden sign with a rough painting of her on it. Fritter ended up pushing the billboard over and landed face-first in the dirt. A water truck waiting on the sidelines rushed to her aid.

" _Ladies and gentlemen!"_ the announcer called over the speakers, astounded. _"Give it up for our winners: Cruz Ramirez and Francis Beltline!"_

I realized that meant Cruz was the last car standing, and I the last psych-man. But my focus was on Lightning and making sure he wasn't hurt.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

Lightning looked past me and his eyes widened. "Cruz! Stop!"

I looked up and saw Cruz barreling right towards us, distracted by her own realization that she won. She managed to swerve to avoid the water truck as it passed us, but the truck slipped in the mud and landed on his side. The cap on his tank popped off, and Lightning and I were drenched in the spurt of water that rushed out. When it stopped, Lightning and I both sputtered and coughed, completely soaked.

"Is that Lighting McQueen?" someone in the audience suddenly shouted.

"And that's Harley Hudson!" someone else called.

Lightning and I looked at each other, and I patted my head. The water had completely washed away the mud on Lightning's body. It also knocked off the beanie that had previously covered my blue-streaked hair. We stared at the shocked audience, who stared back for another moment before cheering wildly.

"Oh Chevy." I groaned.


	9. Paths Before Me

**Chapter Nine – Paths Before Me**

As fast as we could, we loaded into Mack's trailer and he drove off with us. The media arrived soon after we left, and Thunder Hollow was still abuzz with excitement. The silence in Mack's trailer was thick enough to be cut with a knife. Luigi, Guido, and Leland hid at the front of the trailer, no doubt waiting for the explosion building up from my and Lightning's anger. We glared at Cruz, who parked facing us at the back of the trailer. Somehow, she managed to grab the derby trophy, which was engraved with her and my aliases, before we left Thunder Hollow.

Cruz cleared her throat. She seemed to be trying yet failing to hide her giddy smile despite the glares cast her way. "I just…..I mean, I can't believe I won. I didn't think I would. Thank you, by the way, Chief Hudson, for the backup. Really nice of them to give a trophy, too. I've never gotten a racing trophy before. Are they always this shiny or—"

"Stop." Lightning growled. "Just stop it. You don't get it, do you? I went to Fireball Beach and Thunder Hollow to get faster than Storm; but, instead, I had to waste my time _teaching_ my _trainer!_ But you wouldn't understand that because you're not a racer!"

Cruz opened and closed her mouth a few times, at a loss for words. "But…..but I'm just trying to help….."

"One would think that you would realize how _not_ helpful you have been." I snapped. "Ever since we started at the training facility, everything has gone downhill. The only successful training session we've had was the mud race _I_ initiated! You can try as much as you want, but you're not a racer. You're only a trainer."

"But you came to me to help." Cruz protested weakly.

"No, we came because we had no choice!" Lightning shouted. "Don't you get it? This is my last shot! Mine and Harley's! Our last chance before we're forced to get out of racing, and you're putting all of that in jeopardy because you don't know anything about racing!" He angrily smacked the trophy with one tire, and the trophy hit the wall before breaking in half.

Cruz stared at the trophy with shock and hurt on her face. Then, she glared. "Mack! Pull over!"

" _What?"_ Mack asked over the intercom, surprised.

" _PULL! OVER!"_ Cruz screamed before hitting the button for the ramp. Mack managed to safely pull onto a wide section of the road's shoulder, and Cruz back out of the trailer. Lightning and I moved to the edge of the trailer, staring at her in surprise.

"What? You going to run away? Is that what a good trainer does?" I demanded.

Cruz glared at me and Lightning. "Ask me."

"What?" Lightning and I asked simultaneously.

"Ask me if I would run laps before school every day. Sometimes even in the dark." Cruz said. "Ask me if I saved every bit of allowance I had for race tickets. Ask me if I studied racing techniques instead of doing homework." By then, her tone had shifted from anger to sadness. "Ask me if I did all of that just so I could grow up to be a trainer."

"Did—" I elbowed Lightning before he could ask.

"Okay, so you did the research and all the work, it sounds like." I pointed out. "But I'll bet you never set tire on a real racetrack. Why?" I was genuinely curious. Nobody puts that much work into being a racer and then just gives up.

Cruz looked down. "I got to my first race. I realized that all the other racers were so much bigger, stronger, more confident than me. When they started their engines, I just knew. I knew I didn't belong there. I left that track and never looked back."

Lightning and I stared at Cruz, surprised. "But that was your dream. How could you let it go?" I asked.

"Because I felt like I didn't belong there." Cruz sighed. She looked to Lightning. "You did great things as a rookie. I once watched you race and saw you weave through a multi-car wreck like it was nothing. You even flew through the air with such confidence and joy. Tell me: how did you know you could do it? How did you know you could be a racer?"

I looked to Lightning, wondering how he would respond. Lightning seemed unsure how to answer, at first. "I don't know. I guess I never believed I couldn't."

Cruz looked down sadly. "I wish I knew what that felt like." She turned to drive off.

"Wait, Cruz!" I hopped out of the trailer and skated in her path.

"What?" Cruz asked. "Going to give me a pep talk about how I shouldn't give up? How I never should've given up in the first place?"

"Well, you shouldn't have!" I stumbled over my words. "If that was your dream and you were so passionate about it, why should anything stop you?"

"Easy for you to say." Cruz said. "You, whose dad was a legend. You, who are powerful and successful by your own right. Being Doc Hudson's daughter isn't your only claim to fame. You made a name for yourself that is more than Doc's legacy. And no one ever calls you his 'surrogate' or 'adopted' daughter. It's just 'Doc Hudson's daughter.' You're amazing."

"I'm not that amazing." I said, a bit embarrassed.

Cruz scoffed a little. "Did you ever think you _couldn't_ be a crew chief? Have you ever believed you couldn't do something?"

"Of course I have." I said.

"Like what?" Cruz demanded. "When have you believed you couldn't do something?"

I wanted to say right now. I was trying to juggle two jobs—crew chief and spy—and I don't think I'm doing that well. But I couldn't say that. I couldn't reveal being a spy. Plus, for some reason, part of me didn't want to admit weakness. So I just looked down, defeated.

"That's what I thought." Cruz sighed again. "I envy you. I wish I could be like you and Mr. McQueen." She turned and drove off in the direction of the training center.

Nobody spoke or moved for a moment. I ran my fingers through my hair. "We should go rest somewhere." I finally decided, rejoining everyone in the trailer.

" _Just point me in the direction of the nearest hotel or rest stop, kiddo."_ Mack said over the radio. _"Not really familiar with this area."_

"No, no hotels or rest stops." I said, shutting the trailer door. "Not with the press hunting for us. Just find a secluded spot to rest for the night."

* * *

Mack soon found a remote overpass and parked in the shadows underneath it. Lightning requested to be alone. I only asked that he not turn on the TV, though I was certain he would want to hear what everyone was saying about him. I stepped outside and sat on the ground by the overpass's support column. I stared off into the darkness.

What were we going to do now? Fireball Beach was a bust. No way would we go back and be close to Cruz or Sterling. Thunder Hollow wasn't what we expected. We were no closer to being ready to face Jackson Storm again.

I heard footsteps and saw Leland walk up to me. He looked very determined, as though he had to give himself a pep talk to come talk to me. I stood up as he approached. "What is it?"

"I just need to talk to you about what you said to Cruz." Leland said. "Not just now, but how you've treated her since the first day."

"Are you seriously lecturing me right now?" I demanded.

"Yes, because I've never seen you like this before!" Leland snapped. "You've become harsh of tongue, cruel in nature, and…..and…..well, you're a total jerk! Is that the right American phrase? Yes, it is!"

"Leland, I'm not having this conversation with you." I growled as I turned away from him.

"Harley, this isn't like you." Leland said. "I'm going to be straightforward here: this is not a side of you that I like. This is not the Harley I wanted to start a relationship with."

"Oh, if that's the case, then you better get rid of any ideas you had about being my boyfriend!" I scoffed.

"I'm just saying that this isn't you. I know you." Leland said with some desperation in his tone.

"You don't know me! I barely know myself!" I shouted. I sighed heavily. "For Chrysler's sake, I don't know who I am, so how can you know? Get rid of whatever you think you know about me. That me who you wanted to be with? Forget about her. I don't know where she is or if she'll ever come back. I've been trying for weeks to balance every part of myself. I can't choose just one. I have to be in Radiator Springs to be there for my family. I have to be Lightning's crew chief because he's counting on me, and Dad trusted the job to me. I have to be Finn's Partner because we Soul Connecter; and I love being a spy. But trying to be all three at once? I feel like a teaspoon of butter being spread across an entire loaf of bread. Don't say you know me, Leland. I don't know how to be me. I'm trying. I'm really trying. But I…"

Leland put a hand on my shoulder. "Harley, we change. That's how life goes. But that doesn't mean who we used to be isn't part of who we become. It's okay to choose to nurture one side of your life and let the others fall on the backburner. That won't make them any less important."

"What about you?" I asked. "You're still going to be a spy."

"Yes, even when Seishin recommended against that." Leland said. "That's because being a spy is all that I am. I don't know how to be anything else. All my skills are hard to adapt to other jobs. Not to say I'm not trying to find another profession. But I, too, went through what you're going through now. If you decide to follow only one of the three paths before you, nobody will judge nor hate you."

I sighed heavily. "Thanks, Leland. I'm sorry for snapping at you."

Leland hugged me. "Take the time you need to figure yourself out. I'll wait for you." He returned to the trailer.

Only two minutes later, my phone rang, and I answered it. "Hudson speaking."

" _Hey there, Partner."_ Finn's voice spoke on the other end of the line, causing me to smile. _"Hope it's not too late where you are."_

I wasn't even sure what time it was. "No, not at all. What's up?"

" _One of the professors at the C.H.R.O.M.E. Academy would like you to come in and speak to a class."_ Finn explained. _"It's all about how psych-man powers aid spy work. What do you say? Maybe next week, before McQueen's race?"_

It took some conscious restraint to stop myself from saying "yes" right away. Force of habit, caused by me trying to balance my life. Yet when I thought about it, I really wanted to do it. I loved talking to the spy students and discussing different topics with the professors. I've been a guest speaker before, and enjoyed it. Surely I could make it this time. But what if I was delayed getting back to the race? And how could I leave Lightning right now? Then again, we're not getting anywhere right now.

" _Harley?"_

Crud, I hesitated too long. "I want to, Finn, I do—"

" _Say no more, Harley."_ Finn assured. _"You're clearly under a lot of pressure just like McQueen. How is the training going?"_

Venting actually helped, so I explained everything that happened in the last couple weeks. Everything from the new Rust-eze training facility to where Lightning and I were now. I even brought up the same concerns I voiced to Leland.

" _Stay with McQueen."_ Finn practically ordered. _"He needs you more than I do. We can talk again after the big race."_

"But what am I going to do after that?" I asked. "How do I schedule out my life so I can balance everything that makes me who I am?"

" _Harley, scheduling out the parts of who you are won't make you happy."_ Finn said. _"In fact, that sounds rather depressing. Leland is right: choosing one path to your future won't make your past insignificant. You'll never know how your future will turn out. It can be hard to choose a path when so many appeal to you. But if you ever become unhappy with the choice you made, you can make another change."_

I stared off into the darkness. "I don't know what I'm doing, Finn. I feel like I want to choose how to live my life—I don't want someone else to decide for me—but I can't seem to decide for myself."

Finn hummed in thought. _"This is not an easy topic to give advice on, Harley. So I'll say this: take a leap of faith, no matter how hard that may be. You will still be loved by those you love, and you will have a tremendous amount of support in your decision."_

"Thanks, Finn." I said. "That helps."

" _You're very welcome."_ Finn said. _"Why don't you give Miss Riley a call? She's able to be both a firefighter and a racer. Perhaps she can help."_

"I think I'll do that. Thanks."

" _Keep in touch. Best of luck, Partner."_

Finn and I hung up, and I immediately called Sky on video chat. She picked up after a few rings, and the image on my phone showed Sky in her pajamas and lounging in an easy chair. It looked like she was in the main hanger at Piston Peak.

"Hey Sky. What's up?"

" _Not much. I've succumbed to my cravings, so I'm eating a peanut butter and marshmallow creme sandwich."_ Sky showed her sandwich to me.

"If your dad or husband find out, you'll get quite an earful." I reminded her.

Sky shrugged and took a big bite of her sandwich. She sucked marshmallow off her thumb. _"I'm sure you didn't call to lecture me about my eating habits. What's up?"_

As I outlined everything that happened, similarly to how I did with Finn, I noticed Sky's expression go from relaxed to concentrated. She did this anytime there was a problem at hand: her eyebrows would furrow, her lips would purse, and she'd get this focused stare as though she were analyzing something.

" _That's a tough question, Harley. Finn's right: we all go through changes."_ Sky said. _"I wasn't sure what I wanted to be when I grew up. Then I met Dusty and found out how much I love racing. Then we had the incident at the Fill N' Fly that led to us becoming firefighters. I'm able to balance both parts of my life, so I'm not sure if I'm much help."_

"But you moved, didn't you?" I reminded her. "You live at Piston Peak year-round. Didn't that make your family in Propwash Junction sad? Don't they miss you?"

" _Sure, and I miss them from time to time."_ Sky said. _"But they're always there. We keep in touch and I go back to visit whenever I can. That's part of life. Piston Peak is where I feel I most belong right now. I love the mountains and being in the forest. I like being a firefighter, and Dusty can easily come find me for races. This is who we have become. Just because I live far away from my family doesn't mean they aren't there for me. Doesn't mean we love each other any less. Part of me is still in Propwash Junction, and I love revisiting that part of myself when I go back."_

I sighed. "I've never been away from home longer than a few months. But I _want_ to. I want to try something else and explore new things. But that doesn't make Radiator Springs not my home. Does that make sense?"

" _Of course it does."_ Sky said. _"Harley, where are you right now? I'm coming down there to help you with this racing thing."_

"Sky—"

" _You're clearly struggling, and I think you should stick with McQueen at least until his next race. You know, the one that basically decides his future. After that, you'll have a clear head to choose your path. Until then, I want to come and help."_

"Sky, you're not leaving that peak without Blade's or Nick's permission."

" _Since when did I need a man's permission to do whatever the hell I want?"_

"Since you became pregnant and was put on bed rest by the doctor."

Sky glanced down to her baby bump. _"I hate bed rest."_

"I always appreciate your help and kindness." I assured her. "But you have a baby to think about. I bet everyone's going crazy with excitement."

" _Yeah. Nick is running around like a madman making sure everything is baby-proofed around here."_ Sky laughed. _"Dad wants me to stay at Propwash Junction when the baby is born, but I want her to be out here."_

"How do you know it'll be a girl?" I asked.

" _I just know."_ Sky shrugged. _"I think the fresh mountain air will be good for her. I don't want her sense of smell to be destroyed by the Vitamin-a-mulch."_

I giggled. "Look, stay where you are. Bed rest means bed rest. I'll figure this out."

Sky sighed, staring at me like I was a Rubik's cube she was trying to solve. _"Okay. Do what you need to do."_

Sky hung up, and I stuffed my phone in my pocket. Once more, I looked out into the darkness. It was pretty late. Very few cars passed us.

Three paths lay before me: Radiator Springs, C.H.R.O.M.E., and Lightning. I feel like I belong in all three, yet past experience has proven that I can't balance all three in a healthy way. So maybe I had to think of each place individually.

Radiator Springs: my home. Where I've lived since the day I was born. I know every building in town, ever part of the desert. Not much changes there. Very stable and stagnant.

Crew chief for Lightning McQueen: quite a bit of work experience. Continuing my father's legacy. Lightning trusts only me for this job. I have to be there for him. I get to travel the country and even to other countries.

C.H.R.O.M.E.: being a spy with my Soul Connect Partner. The way Finn and I meld when we work on missions. The adrenaline rush from escaping the bad guys. All the gadgets and skills combining to make a lethal weapon that is me. Seeing so many exciting places.

I realized that the more I thought about being a spy, the bigger my smile grew. I missed going on missions. I wanted to be on one right now. Maybe I could call Finn and see if I can still talk to that class. Then we can go on an adventure and be spies together and—

What would my family say?

How could I just go off and be a spy and leave them behind? Would they really be happy for me?

"Dad?" I spoke into the blackness that surrounded me. "Dad? I could really use some advice." I waited patiently, looking around for a familiar ghost who once promised to be there for me, even in death. To be honest, I started to panic a little when Doc didn't arrive. "Hello? Dad! Where are you? I can't do this on my own. I want to do this myself, but I don't know how; and I can't just keep going through the motions and waste my life in this indecision!"

"Harley?"

I jumped and spun around. I forgot how close I sat to Mack. He woke up, which means I was shouting. "I'm fine."

"It sounded like you were shouting for your dad, kiddo." Mack's eyes, shining in the starlight, practically glowed with worry.

I kicked at the pebbles under my skates. "It's nothing. Just going through some stuff."

"You know what I always say about that?" Mack said with a smile. "Going through tough stuff is like climbing a really big hill. You'll slip and trip and sweat, but you'll reach the top someday."

"Yeah, you're right." I agreed.

"And then you slide down the other side on a sled and you get all excited and you shout 'Wheeeeee!'" Mack added, causing me to laugh.

"Thanks, Mack." I shook my head with a grin. "You always know how to cheer me up."


	10. Doc's Best Years

**Chapter Ten – Doc's Best Years**

When I got back into the trailer, I saw Luigi and Guido asleep near the front. Leland lounged on one of the bunks, reading a book. Lightning watched TV. I could see footage from the Thunder Hollow derby and interviews with Miss Fritter and the other attendees. Someone else came on, talking about Jackson's statistical favor to win while emphasizing Lightning's very specific odds of losing. As I watched the interviews with the other Next Gen cars, I noticed only one or two of them had psyche human racing partners. Lightning looked on the verge of a panic attack.

I grabbed the remote and shut off the TV. "Lightning, we need to stay calm."

"Easy for you to say." Lightning sighed. "You're not the one who has to go up against Storm in the race."

"I guess I could be your partner in the next race." I shrugged. "I'm sure there's nothing against that."

Lightning sighed. "I don't know what to do anymore, Harley. Do you have any idea what to do?"

I shrugged. "Can't say. I've been trying to get answers from everyone else, too." I opened up the trailer's built-in computer and opened up the video chat. "If you could talk to anyone right now, who would it be?"

Lightning thought about it. "Mater always has good advice, even unintentionally. Let's give him a call. Holley gave him that new computer last year."

"I'm on it." I scrolled through the contacts list and clicked on Mater's name. After a few rings, Mater's large buck teeth appeared on the screen.

" _Hey buddy! Hey there, Sissy!"_ Mater called happily.

"Mater, you're too close to the screen. Reverse a few feet." I reminded him.

" _Oh, right."_ Mater chuckled as he backed up so we could see his face. _"How goes the training? Ready fer the race?"_

"Not really, buddy." Lightning admitted. "We've hit a couple road bumps. Right now, we're just trying to figure out where to go next."

" _Home is always there for you."_ Mater reminded him.

"Yeah, but that doesn't seem like where I need to be right now." Lightning sighed. "Mater, Doc was pushed out of racing. I don't want that to happen to me, but I don't know where else to go. I wish Doc were still around just to tell me what to do."

"He always did seem to have the answers." I agreed.

" _Yeah."_ Mater agreed. _"I guess the only one who knew better than Doc was the guy who trained him."_

Lightning and I nodded absent-mindedly. Then, Lightning gasped. "Wait, Mater, what did you say?"

" _The only guy who knew better than Doc was the guy who trained him?"_ Mater said in confusion.

"That would've been his trainer, Smokey." I mused.

"That's it!" Lightning gasped. "Harley, quick! Is Smokey still alive?"

"Considering he sent me a gift on my last birthday, I'm going to say 'yes.'" I laughed. "Smokey's the type of old rust-bucket who'll live to be a few hundred years old."

"Mater, you're the best!" Lightning said excitedly.

" _Thanks!"_ Mater said. _"Uh, best at what?"_

* * *

Using some duct tape, I managed to fix the derby trophy Cruz and I won. When Mack heard our plan, he was happy to wake up and immediately drive after Cruz. We managed to catch up with her the next morning, and Mack pulled in front of her and lowered the trailer door so Lightning and I could face her.

"I'm going back to the training center, and you can't stop me." Cruz said. She had a forlorn expression, like she wasn't exactly happy with her decision.

"What if I told you we were going to meet a true racing legend?" Lightning proposed. "The same legend who trained the Fabulous Hudson Hornet?"

A look of interest flashed in Cruz's eyes. But she looked down again. "You _are_ our trainer, aren't you?" I reminded her. Lightning pushed out the Thunder Hollow derby trophy for Cruz to see. "And you _did_ win a pretty awesome figure-eight derby. I can't think of a single trainer who has ever done that."

"I'm pretty sure I only won because you helped." Cruz said.

"And yet you managed to do pretty well without me for a large chunk of it." I countered. "While I was with you, in fact, you showed that you work well when you have a racing partner."

Cruz looked a little more at ease, perhaps even hopeful. "I don't know…"

"Okay, we didn't want to do this." Lightning said with a grin. "Guido! Hit it!" Guido hit a button on the trailer's stereo, and upbeat workout music played from the speakers. "I gotta loosen up my old joints!" Lightning said, starting to bounce on his tires. "And backward! And forward! And rest! And breathe! Come on, Harley, let's do it!"

I was still in my skates, so I could follow along as best I could. I felt absolutely ridiculous. But if it made up for being a complete jerk to Cruz, so be it.

"Okay, stop it!" Cruz called, apparently embarrassed. "Stop! Okay, okay! I'll go with you just stop it!"

Mack pulled over so Cruz could load up into the trailer, and we were off yet again. It was mostly a quiet ride until Mack announced we were a few miles out.

"I haven't seen Smokey in a few years." I said. "It's been so busy."

"How do we know Smokey is still going to be there?" Cruz asked.

"I know it's been a while, but I'm sure he'll be around." I assured. "Thomasville is a small town. We'll find him."

"Okay, then how do we know he'll want to help us?" Cruz asked.

"Why wouldn't he?" Lightning shrugged.

"You may have to prove yourself, Speed Racer." I said. "Let's see what happens when we get there."

" _Approaching Thomasville, guys!"_ Mack said over the intercom.

"Nice timing." Cruz mused. I pressed the button to roll up the window blinds, and blurs of pine trees passed us. It brought back memories. In fact, this road was very familiar.

I pressed the button on the intercom. "Hey Mack. Take the second left. We're going on a detour."

" _Roger that, kiddo."_ Mack said.

"Where are we going?" Lightning asked.

"Somewhere very special." I said. "You're going to like this."

When Mack parked, I led the way out of the trailer and smiled at the sight. Cruz and Lightning parked on either side of me. "Whoa." Cruz breathed. "It's so….old….."

"It's the Thomasville dirt track." I explained as I led everyone into the abandoned track. "Been around for decades. Doc used to train on this track." A fog obscured some of the track and surrounding area. It truly seemed like a ghost town: quiet and very mysterious. I traced the wheels on one of my skates over the dirt. "I remember when Dad first brought me here. I thought he didn't have any other family. Though I was partially right, I was thrilled to find out about Smokey and Dad's old friends. When I turned eleven, I told Dad the only thing I wanted was a chance to meet Smokey. It took quite a bit of convincing to get him to go along with the idea. But it was so worth it. This track is better than any scrapbook."

Lightning drove out onto the track. His eyes were alight with boyish excitement. "Hey Cruz, want to go for a run?"

"Why?" Cruz asked.

"Just for the heck of it." Lightning shrugged. "Come on!"

"Go for it." I encouraged. "Take a stab at the dirt again."

Cruz hesitantly joined Lightning on the track. I noticed she kept mimicking his preparation movements. It was amusing, like a child watching her hero.

"On your mark, get set, go!" Luigi called excitedly. The two cars shot off down the track. Leland, Luigi, and Guido cheered excitedly.

"You go, guys!" I shouted as they disappeared into the fog. "Whoo-hoo!"

"Well, well, well."

I froze and turned around. A familiar orange pickup truck parked behind me with a smile on his lips. I grinned broadly. "Hey, Uncle Smokey. Long time, no see."

"How did he get in here without us hearing him?" Leland whispered to Luigi and Guido.

"Harley Hudson. Haven't seen you in a while." Smokey chuckled. He tilted a little, listening, and I also heard the roar of Lightning's and Cruz's engines. Smokey and I stood side-by-side as Lightning and Cruz emerged from the fog and skidded to a halt before us.

"Harley?" Lightning chuckled nervously. "Is this who I think it is?"

"Lightning McQueen and Cruz Ramirez, meet Smokey." I said. "This is the very same truck who trained Doc."

"Wow." Lightning looked as giddy as a boy at Christmas. "Mr. Smokey, it's so great to meet you. I'm here because…..well, I'm…I don't know if Doc—"

"I know who you are, son." Smokey said. "And I know why you're here. Come with me. We'll have a drink." He led everyone out of the track. "Besides, I got a few more folks for you to meet."

"Sounds great!" Lightning said excitedly. Cruz followed with an awed expression on her face.

"You haven't written in a while, Harley." Smokey noted.

"Things have been crazy." I said. "I can explain at the bar."

Smokey chuckled. "I hear you're a whiskey girl." I nodded proudly, and Smokey laughed. "That's our girl."

* * *

We arrived at a classic country bar in Thomasville, and Smokey led us to a table where I could introduce Lightning to Doc's other friends and fellow Piston Cup legends.

I pointed to each of the racers in turn. "Lightning, meet Louise Nash, Junior Moon, and River Scott. And this is Wendell Carter." I pointed to the only other human at the table besides me and Leland. "He's River's psych-man racing partner."

Wendell Carter had brown eyes like River Scott, and an old racing shirt that matched River's paintjob. Wendell's long grey-auburn hair was tied into a ponytail, and he had tattoos up and down both arms. He had a single hoop earring in one ear. "Great to see you again, Hud Jr." Wendell nodded to me.

"I thought 'Hud' was the nickname you gave Dad." I laughed.

"And you're his kid." Louise said. "Though I always preferred to call you 'Skater Girl.'"

"Still going strong with the skates." I lifted up a foot to show off said skates. "By the way, Wendell, what's up with your daughter? She's, what? Fourteen?"

"Brenna? Yep. She's actually here." Wendell jerked a thumb back towards the bar. "Spending her summer at the shop, though she constantly sneaks off to the track or to watch the races. Still dreams of being a racer. Hell, she'd kill on the track if a racer gave her the chance."

"Got the drinks!" a teenager waltzed up to the table and set the drinks before everyone. I recognized her even though she was much younger last time I saw her. Brenna had curly red hair even more fiery than her father's, and it was almost always a wild, tangled mess. She wore denim shorts and a faded racing T-shirt that looked as old as her father. Several tattoos graced her arm, and one tattoo stood out on her wrist. I remembered this was her psych-man birthmark: a 51 resting in the rims of a tire.

"Brenna, you remember Harley Hudson, Doc's daughter." Smokey said.

"Of course. Can't forget the girl who skates everywhere." Brenna laughed. She looked to Lightning and the others. "So that's Lightning McQueen. Pleasure to meet you. And who makes up the rest of your team?"

"That's Cruz Ramirez, one of our trainers." I introduced. "Guido and Luigi from our pit crew, and Leland is a mechanic and something of a receptionist."

"Is that what you call the one who manages the email?" Leland chuckled.

Lightning looked back and forth between Smokey and me. "So, Harley, you and Smokey have talked a couple times before?"

"You kidding?" Smokey chuckled. "This kid is my niece and ain't nobody gonna tell me otherwise."

"I've met his other family members, and they adore me." I added.

"It was this kid here who finally got Hud to talk to us again." River said.

"He was a great racer." Louise sighed. "After all those—" She cast a glance to Brenna, and paused. Evidently, the presence of the teen prevented her from using foul language. "Nobody should be pushed out of doing something they love."

"Racing meant everything to Hud." Wendell said. "Pushing him out also pushed him away from us."

"We hear that's happening to you, too." Junior looked to Lightning when he said this.

Lightning explained everything: his devastating crash, the new Rust-eze facility and meeting Cruz, the disastrous training, and the deal he made with Sterling. Smokey and the others listened carefully, thoughtfully. Brenna cast looks to the eldest of the group, curious.

"You've got yourself into quite a pickle, McQueen." River said.

"You're royally screwed." Wendell chuckled.

"Wendell!" Louise scolded. "Not in front of your daughter!"

"Don't worry, Aunt Louise, I never use that language." Brenna laughed.

"We can help you, McQueen." Smokey assured. "Let's get you all settled, and we'll start first thing tomorrow morning."

"Great!" Lightning looked ultra-relieved. "Thank you so much."

"Thanks a lot, Smokey. This is a great help." I said. "Team, let's see if we can score some rooms at the local motel."

"I can hook you guys up." Wendell offered.

"Yeah, my aunt works there!" Brenna said. "Follow us!"

As we headed outside, I hugged Smokey. "Thanks again, Uncle Smokey. This is really huge."

"Yeah. If you didn't agree to help…." Lightning sighed. "I've got a lot riding on this. If Doc were here, he'd know what to do."

Smokey chuckled. "You sure got a lot of faith in Hud."

Lightning stared at Smokey, and a thoughtful look came across his face. "Did you and Doc have a fight or something? I didn't even know about you until I was watching Doc's old racing films. Harley had to tell us how to get here. Come to think of it, you never talked about Smokey either, Harley."

"I guess it never really came up." I shrugged. "You spent so much asking about Doc's racing techniques that you never asked about how he learned all that stuff."

"Hud and I were pretty close. But after his wreck, he just left town and never came back." Smokey explained. "We didn't have a clue where he went, and nobody knew where to find him."

"Until I came along and convinced him to take me here." I said.

"Even before that." Smokey corrected. "He started writing—not often, but a letter and a picture here and there—soon after he adopted you. Couldn't get him to come visit until you begged him to."

Lightning glanced skyward at the stars. "I wish I could've seen him back when you knew him, Smokey. During the best years of his life, when he was on the track and doing things no rookie ever tried. The time when he was happy."

Smokey chuckled. "You think racing was the best part of Hud's life?"

"I'll bet he loved it more than he loved me." I shrugged. "That was such a big part of who he was."

"Harley, you meant the world to Doc. Racing was a huge part of him, but you filled that hole when he was pushed out of it." Smokey said. "But you and McQueen only got half of the story. In fact, both of you play a pretty big part."

Lightning and I exchanged confused looks. Smokey gestured for us to follow him, and we headed towards the houses up the road. Smokey led us to his own home, driving around into the garage.

"What do you mean, both of us play a part?" I asked.

"Hud's wreck broke his body, and being told he couldn't race broke his heart." Smokey explained. "He started feeling more like himself when you became his daughter, Harley. Finally, he had something to live for, _someone_ who wanted and needed him. But he wasn't quite complete. He even told me so in one of his letters. 'I admit only to you that I miss the track,' he wrote. 'Rarely do I take a lap around Willie's Butte, and I only do it when my little girl begs me to.'" I shrugged sheepishly, and Smokey chuckled again. He flipped on the lights to the garage. "But the best parts of Hud's life were these: raising Harley, and training you, McQueen."

In the fluorescents, Lightning and I saw a huge corkboard on the wall that made our jaws drop. Pictures depicted me throughout my lifetime, from toddler to teenager; newspaper clippings showed Lightning's races; letters and Christmas cars next to each photo. Everything in Doc's writing. It was like an entire memorial dedicated to me and Lightning.

"Nearly fifty years, I never heard a word from Hud." Smokey said. "Next thing I know, I'm getting pictures, newspaper clippings, and three pages' worth of stories. All about you two. Hud loved racing. No doubt about that. But raising a kid and coaching a racer? Never seen him happier."

Emotion welled up inside me. Doc had been there ever since my parents died. My birth father killed himself and my mother, and I barely made it out. Sheriff had saved me from the fire, but Doc had been the one to comfort me. To take me home. To love and hold me and assure me that it was okay to be scared. Everyone in Radiator Springs was my family. But Doc was my dad. He was always the one I looked up to. I was there the moment he died, and that hurt so much; yet, when I thought about it, perhaps that's why I was so eager to take his role as crew chief. I wanted to be somewhere that reminded me most of Doc and keep his memory close. After Lightning joined Radiator Springs, he, Doc, and I spent so much time together. All those training runs at Willie's Butte seemed like so long ago.

I glanced to Lightning to see if he was feeling what I did. He caught my eye and blinked several times. I cleaned my classes on my shirt and rubbed my eyes. "You brought something out in Doc that I couldn't. He saw something in you. That's why he kept training you."

"Bet you don't even see what Hud saw." Smokey said. "But if you want to find it, I can help. Are you ready to put in the work for it?"

Lightning nodded, fresh determination in his eyes. "Yes, sir."


	11. Changing and Growing

**A/N: So it's been a while since I left an Author's Note! I'm glad you guys seem to like my new OCs! StarShot, I'm glad that I made you excited about Brenna. Hope you find this chapter just as adorable. Enjoy this next chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven – Changing and Growing**

"Uh, are you sure about this?" Cruz asked while sitting on a lift in the dirt track garage. Leland, Guido, and Luigi were doing work on her paint, engine, and muffler.

"Speed Racer needs an opponent." I said.

"And I heard the lot of you were in a demolition derby." Smokey said.

"We nearly died." Lightning groaned.

"Really? 'Cause there ain't a scratch on you, Harley, or your trainer." Smokey pointed out.

I exchanged glances with Lightning and Cruz. Come to think of it, despite everything we went through, none of us were seriously injured in that crazy mess. "We didn't do it on purpose." Cruz said, still in awe.

"That's what happens when you're not overthinking." Smokey said.

"All done." Leland announced, lowering the lift so Cruz could drive out into the light. She had lightning designs and a 20 painted on her flanks like Jackson Storm.

"Give that engine a good rev, Cruz." Smokey encouraged.

"Like this?" Cruz gave a few revs, sounding like a growling dog.

"No, really amp it up!" Brenna called. "Let 'er rip!"

Cruz bit her tongue in concentration and went all out. She looked surprised herself when the roar emitted from her exhaust pipes. Brenna cheered, and I clapped. "Well done. Smokey? Shall we get to work?"

Smokey led everyone to the track, and Cruz and Lightning took their places. "You never did the qualifiers in Florida, so you're starting dead last. When I give the word, catch up with Cruz in three laps or less."

"Three laps? To do the entire field?" Lightning gawked.

"You want to beat Storm?" I asked.

"Of course." Lightning said.

"Then go!" Smokey barked.

Cruz took off, and Lightning shot after her. But when their three laps were up, Lightning was still several feet behind Cruz.

"Can you work with that?" I asked.

"Yep." Smokey nodded. He looked to Lightning as the racers approached. "First things first: you're old. Accept that and move on."

"I've been telling him that." Cruz piped up.

"Maybe he's losing his hearing." Smokey suggested.

"He says you're old!" Cruz shouted at Lightning.

Lightning sighed. "I heard him."

"That means you'll never be faster than Storm. But you can be smarter." Smokey said.

The first exercise took us to a slope nearby that was usually saved for sledding or snowboarding in the winter. As Lightning drove behind Smokey (who pulled a trailer with me and Guido riding in the back), Smokey would give us the word to start chucking bales of hay at Lightning.

"Reflexes are the first thing to go!" Smokey called as we pelted Lightning with hay.

"Come on! This is rudimentary!" I shouted.

"Like you could do any better!" Lightning snapped. I chucked a hay bale at him so hard it nearly became lodged in his mouth. I was only slightly remorseful when he started choking.

Something told me Smokey didn't totally approve (despite how much he seemed amused), because he put me with Lightning and Cruz during our next exercise: shutting us in a field of tractors and forcing them to stampede. I hopped onto Cruz and we managed to escape, but only after the stampede swept us several miles into the forest. I had to admit this was much different from Doc's methods. At least he explained why we did what we did. Smokey said things like "sneak through that window," which weren't clear directions. Even with my racing knowledge, I had no idea what he was talking about.

When we started running laps again, I found myself shouting at Lightning just as much as Smokey did. He and I agreed to co-chief this operation. I had hoped at least one day of training would do something for Lightning. But he never caught up to Cruz once as we ran laps for nearly an hour.

"This was your idea, McQueen, now get your bumper in gear!" I shouted as he lost another round. "We only have two more days to get this done!" I caught Smokey staring at me. "What?"

"Nothing." Smokey muttered, though he still analyzed me with his gaze.

* * *

That night, Smokey set up an old camera and film reel, showing us clips of Doc's races. I noticed Leland taking notes, determined like the rest of us.

"See what he's doing there?" Smokey said as we watched Doc stick close to another racer's bumper. "He's letting the other racer do the work for him."

"Stole that move from me." Junior huffed.

"Nearly stole my partner from me." River chuckled.

Wendell laughed. "Hud was always a lone wolf. He didn't need dead weight like me."

"Drafting?" Lightning scoffed. "I've never done that before."

"Well, you were fast before." Smokey pointed out, and Lightning pouted a little.

I saw Cruz staring at the screen, captivated. She softly gasped when we saw Doc nearly get pushed into a wall by another racer. But he instead flipped right over the car, winning the race. "That's incredible." She and I whispered at once. We shared a look and laughed.

"Rookies used to try and smash him into walls all the time." Louise said.

"But Hud didn't touch a wall unless he wanted to." Wendell said. "You know, the first time I convinced him to let me race with him, he tried that move and nearly knocked me off! We didn't have those fancy magnet things back in my day."

"Back in your day, psych-man racers were thrown off cars on a regular basis." Brenna pointed out. Like Cruz, she hadn't taken her eyes off the film the entire time.

* * *

"Sneak through the window!" Smokey called as Guido let the tractors stampede towards me, Lightning, and Cruz. I hopped onto Cruz again, wondering what Smokey meant by that. Lightning figured it out first: pass the tractors as soon as space emerged to do it. I didn't even have to tell Cruz when to go. She and I seemed to be thinking the same thing, and she moved immediately when I knew she should. Though still nervous, she pushed on, and we made it through just after Lightning. We left the tractors behind and escaped to a safe spot.

"I made it!" Cruz cheered.

I hopped off her. "Nice job, the both of you!"

"That was great!" Lightning laughed.

"Not bad." Smokey said. "Now get to the slopes! Next exercise!"

"Yes sir!" Lightning sped off.

"Hey Cruz, Harley." Smokey stopped us before we could go after Lightning. "You two made quite the team out there."

Cruz and I looked at each other, surprised. "I guess we did okay." I shrugged.

"We did take on the derby pretty well." Cruz pointed out.

"Yeah, we did." I nodded slowly. "Guess you race well when you've got a partner helping you out."

"You know, for some reason, I did feel more focused when you were with me." Cruz said. "I don't know what it was. It was like I knew everything was okay because you were there to help."

"Well you did everything I wanted you to do without me even saying anything." I said. "You did great!"

Cruz smiled. "Thanks."

"Why don't you catch up with McQueen?" Smokey suggested. "The both of you can try out the reflexes." Cruz nodded and sped off. Smokey looked to me. "Harley, have you ever considered being a racer yourself?"

"Me?" I twirled one of my cobalt streaks with one finger. "No, I don't think so. I wouldn't be very good at it."

"You kidding?" Smokey scoffed. "You were a natural out there. Wasn't she, Guido?" The blue forklift nodded excitedly.

I tucked the streak I played with behind my ear. "The last thing I need to consider is yet another path I can take." Too late, I realized I said that out loud.

Smokey nudged me in the direction of the slope, and we headed off to start the next exercise. "You know, Harley, maybe you should take a break from racing."

"I'm fine." I assured. "I've been doing a lot of soul-searching, and I've decided I'll make a decision after I know what's going to happen to Lightning."

"What about what's going to happen to you?" Smokey asked. "After all, that's the only thing you can control. You can't control what'll happen to McQueen."

I focused on the sound my skates made on the dirt.

"Harley, your dad didn't want you to follow in his tire tracks just because you were his daughter." Smokey said.

I stared at him in surprise. "Really? He never told me that; and he didn't often keep stuff from me, especially after I found out about the racing."

"The last thing he wanted to do was crush your dreams." Smokey said. "But the one thing he wanted most was for you to do what you wanted with your life. He wanted you to choose your path in life, and not let anything stop that. He was afraid your parents' questionable past would get in the way of that. Glad to see that didn't stop you."

"Of course it didn't." I assured. "I am my own person, and I know…." I stared off into space. "At least, I'm trying to figure out what to do with my life. I'm trying to decide who I am and where I belong."

Smokey stared at me a moment. "That Leland fella mentioned that you work with a friend of his."

"My Soul Connect Partner." I confirmed.

"He likes you. That Leland." Smokey said. "Ever think about starting something with him?"

I felt my face grow hot. "Maybe. Not much time right now."

"Sounds to me like you need to make time for it." Smokey said. "You've put quite a burden on your shoulders. Ain't nothing wrong with sharing it with someone."

I shrugged. "I'll think about it."

"You better." Smokey said. "Or I'll keep bugging you about it."

"I don't doubt that." I laughed.

* * *

While Lightning and Cruz talked racing techniques with Doc's friends, I decided to run to the grocery store before they closed. When I arrived, however, Smokey was there with Guido and Luigi.

"I know that look in your eyes, Uncle Smokey." I said. "What's up?"

"Guido and Luigi are taking over the shopping." Smokey said. "Follow me."

I knew it would be pointless to argue. So I shrugged and skated next to Smokey as we journeyed down the main street of town. We arrived at a small diner, and I noticed a certain red-haired human sitting in a booth by himself.

"Smokey, what's going on?" I asked.

"You're going on a date." Smokey said matter-of-factly. "I've already warned Turbo that he'll get beaten to a pulp if he doesn't treat you right. He would've asked you himself, but he was afraid to bother you. So I offered to ask for you."

"But you're not asking, you're telling." I pointed out.

"Yep. You shouldn't pass up on an opportunity to be with a man who loves you, especially if you want to be in a relationship with someone at some point in your life. Now go in there and have fun." Smokey nudged me towards the door, and he didn't leave until I sat down at the booth with Leland.

"I'm really sorry about this." Leland said as I sat down. "I didn't think this was the right time to ask about a date. You know, with the stress about McQueen's race and all that."

"Maybe, but I guess we could all use some time to relax." I said. "So let's just do this. Give it a try."

Leland and I ended up talking better this time than the last time we had a date. We ordered food, chatted about life and memories, and laughed like we had been friends our entire lives. For those few hours, I forgot about the stress of the upcoming race.

"Does Finn know that you're trying to start a relationship with me?" I asked as we finished our dessert.

Leland nearly choked on his food and took a few gulps of water. "Um…"

"Oh my gosh you haven't told him." I laughed. "What's the matter? Afraid he'll freak out?"

"To be frank, yes." Leland said. "I don't know if you've noticed, but Finn is very protective of you."

"Well, I know he used to be overprotective, especially when I started doing the spy work." I shrugged. "But he's gotten better. If something does start between us, I'm sure he'll be okay with it. If not, I'll put him in a force field bubble and roll him around like a soccer ball."

Leland laughed. He tapped his fork gentle against his plate in thought. "So, does that mean you _would_ like something to start between us?"

My face felt warm. "I think so. Yeah."

"Great." Leland said. Awkward silence settled, and we laughed to try and break it. "Care for a stroll?"

We paid for our food and headed out into the town. We left the shops behind and ended up on the darkened sidewalks near the trees. The sky was full of stars, and crickets chirped. I noticed Leland look at me, and then glance to my skates, and then stand up a little straighter.

"What?" I giggled.

"I just never realized that you're actually quite short." Leland mused. "Those skates add a significant amount of height to you."

"Sky has told me the same." I said. "I guess I never really noticed because I hardly ever take these things off." I skated in circles, never too far from Leland's side as we meandered down the path.

"Do you ever just walk normally?" Leland asked curiously.

"Not really." I shrugged. "I started wearing skates so I could keep up with my family in Radiator Springs. Then it just started becoming part of my look. They're part of who I am." I lifted a skate and stared at it as I rolled. "That's one thing that never changed."

"I'm impressed by your ability." Leland said. We were getting farther away from town, towards the dirt track.

"Thanks. Lots and lots of practice. You wouldn't believe what I can do on missions."

"I've watched you for some time, Harley. I know exactly what you can do. Yet you still astound me."

I stopped just outside the dirt track and turned to face Leland. I could just make out his expression in the light of the full moon. "Seishin told you and Nick that it wouldn't be a good idea to go back to your old jobs. I think it was to protect your identity, so no one knows who you really are. But maybe it was also to protect your new bodies, so you could live longer than you did in your past lives. Nick was able to adapt. He's a firefighter, a medic, and, pretty soon, a father. Why are you so determined to get back into spy work?"

Leland stared skyward, deep in thought. I didn't speak, allowing him to construct his answer. Finally, he said, "I suppose it's because I still want to look out for you and Finn. But it's also because of Katherine. She and I are still Soul Connect Partners, and I have to be there for her. Even if she's mainly doing reconnaissance or working as our hacker, I want to do my duty as a proper Partner."

I smiled. "You really care about her."

"She was the only one who wasn't afraid to talk to me while I was a spirit." Leland explained. "I couldn't risk revealing myself to Finn before he was ready; and anytime someone else saw me, they ran away in fear. Katherine truly used her powers well. Speaking to the dead is a great gift, both for the speaker and the spirits."

I sighed. "Well, as long as you're responsible, I guess. You should do what makes you happy."

A familiar growl of an engine reached our ears, and we turned to the dirt track. Whoops and laughter came from inside. Curious, Leland and I snuck into the track and hid behind the bleachers. Through the gaps in the seats, we could see a car going around the track with their headlights on. Except we heard two different voices.

The car came around at the finish line in front of us, kicking up a cloud of dust. When the dust settled, we were temporarily blinded by the headlights. When the car turned, we could just make out Cruz doing a few victory circles with—to our surprise—Brenna on her roof.

"That was amazing!" Brenna cheered. "I've never been on a real racecar before!"

"I don't know if I would call myself a real racecar, but it sure was fun!" Cruz said.

"Not a real racecar?" Brenna scoffed. "Puh-lease! This was amazing!" She hopped off Cruz, spinning and jumping with glee. "No racer has ever let me on them! 'You're too young,' they said. 'Too inexperienced. Too small.'"

"Your lithe figure is actually quite ideal for racing." Cruz said. "Your small, but powerful. Anybody would be lucky to have you as a racing partner."

"What about you?" Brenna said. "You got all the skills of a great racer. You're even mastering the dirt pretty quickly for a newbie."

Cruz looked down sheepishly. "Thanks. I never had a racing partner before. You're a natural."

Brenna rubbed the back of her head. It was her turn to be sheepish. "It's all I want to do."

"I can help!" Cruz said. "I'm not much of a racer, but I'm a trainer and I have connections with other racers! I'll get you on the track."

"Really?" Brenna's voice went up a few octaves in her excitement. "Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!"

Cruz laughed. "Come on! One more lap around the track!"

Brenna hopped onto Cruz. "Let's see what you got, Ramirez!" She whooped as Cruz took off down the track once more.

My fingers tapped on the wooden bench almost unconsciously. "Well _that's_ interesting."

Leland chuckled quietly. "What are you scheming?"

"Scheming? Me? I don't know what you're talking about." I didn't take my eyes off Cruz and Brenna.


	12. Brenna Bonds

**Chapter Twelve – Brenna Bonds**

The training sessions improved greatly. Lightning started to look like his old self, and picked up new skills at the same time. Soon, he was catching up to Cruz during their laps around the dirt track.

"I think McQueen has a pretty good shot." River said as he, Wendell, and I restocked the trailer with supplies for the drive to the race.

"I always knew he had it in him." I said. "Thanks for helping to bring that out."

"It's nice to finally meet the guy who managed to get Hud back into the racing scene." Wendell said. "You did your best, Harley, but—"

"Say no more." I laughed. "I got Dad's tire in the door, but Lightning managed to convince him to go for it. I think being a crew chief really suited him."

"It's a good look on you, too." Wendell said.

"Smokey says you're working two jobs right now." River pointed out. "Something about international travel?"

"Yeah, it's a mix of racing research and travel writing." I said. That was the cover story Finn and I used when talking about the days I was off doing spy stuff.

"Maybe you can take Brenna with you on one of these racing research trips?" Wendell suggested. "You know how passionate she is about racing. Getting her foot in the door would really help. If it's not too much to ask, of course."

"I would be delighted to bring Brenna along. I think she'll enjoy some time in the pits, too." I said.

"Of course, I think it's Ramirez who's giving Brenna her start in racing." River pointed out. He nodded behind us, and Wendell and I turned to see Brenna sprinting past and going straight for Cruz.

"Hey Cruz! Check these out!" Brenna showed off a pair of circular magnets attached to straps. "They're racing magnets! I made them myself!"

"Whoa, cool!" Cruz gasped excitedly. "Just for your hands, too? Smart. I think having your feet free is much more advantageous."

"Right?" Brenna agreed. "Then, on the off-chance I get thrown off, I can tuck-and-roll and jump up again much easier."

"Here, hop on! Let's test them out!" Cruz lowered herself a little so Brenna could jump on her hood and then climb onto her roof. Brenna strapped the magnets to her hands and stuck them to Cruz's roof, near her eyes. Brenna bent her legs so she rested on her hands and knees/toes on Cruz's back. Cruz drove down the road a ways and then back again, even weaving around. Brenna stayed on her back, and even shifted to match Cruz's movements.

"Okay, that's pretty adorable." River said.

"They're naturals, the both of them." Wendell added. "I've been meaning to ask for some time, Harley, but I would so appreciate you helping Brenna get into racing. She has to finish school, of course, but the sooner she gets onto the track, the happier she'll be."

Even to someone without racing knowledge, it was clear Cruz and Brenna worked perfectly together. Clearly, they spent much of their free time together. "I'll do that." I assured. "Brenna will be a racer. Lightning will help." Truthfully, I wasn't sure how I would fit that into my future plans, which were blurry enough already, but I knew Brenna deserved it.

* * *

I wasn't sure what to expect when Smokey and the gang dragged us out into the forest in the middle of the night. I just made sure my skates were properly oiled and ready to go. Brenna attached herself to Cruz with her racing magnets, and Wendell hopped onto River.

"Didn't you guys use to run moonshine up here?" I asked.

"How exactly do you know about that?" Louise asked suspiciously.

"I found your stash during one of my trips to Thomasville, remember?" I laughed. "You told me it was moon juice."

Smokey chuckled. "All right! We'll stop once we get to the lake. And no headlights!"

"No headlights?" Lightning repeated, surprised.

"Instinct only!" Smokey shut off his headlights, as did Louise, River, and Junior. Wendell attached himself to River, and Cruz had insisted Brenna join her for this run. I used one of the hand magnets to help me hang onto Lightning. My skates would roll just fine over the woodland trail. Lightning nearly hit a tree several times, and I had to push off him once or twice to avoid the trees myself. Cruz and Brenna veered off-course and disappeared in the darkness and shrubbery. Moonlight cut through the darkness through the gaps of the trees. Smokey, Louise, River, Wendell, and Junior whooped and laughed.

As we continued through the woods, Lightning fell into a groove. He relied on his instincts and reacted well when confronted with obstacles. My spy training kicked in, and I found myself letting go of Lightning often. We burst through bushes, swerved around trees, and laughed joyfully. Brenna and Cruz reappeared, also having figured out the exercise. I sped just as fast as Lightning, my momentum uninhibited and easily reinvigorated should I slow down. I noticed Lightning's tech suit from the training center getting torn. He and I shot off a small slope, airborne for a few seconds, and the moonlight fully lit us up.

Lightning looked just like his old self, and it filled me with happiness. I felt like a helium-filled balloon.

We skidded to a halt at the lake, where Smokey and the others waited. "Now _that's_ what I'm talking about." Smokey said proudly. "Well done."

"That was….." Lightning panted, a wide smile on his face. "…so awesome!"

"What happened to Cruz and Brenna?" I wondered. I got my answer when the psych-man and yellow car shot from the trees. Cruz slammed her brakes, but I still jumped back out of fear of being hit. I ended up tripping over a stick on the sand and fell in the shallow water of the lake. A brief shriek escaped my mouth from the cold water.

"I'm so sorry!" Cruz said sheepishly while everyone else laughed.

"Think that's funny, huh?" My teeth chattered a little.

"Quite funny." Lightning agreed.

I scooped up some mud and chucked it at Lightning. He spun his tires and swung around to spray me with muddy sand, and he hit Wendell and River, too. It did not take long for a mud fight to break out, which led to us washing off in the lake and heading straight home so we could shower and get warm again.

Wendell and Brenna let me use their shower. Afterwards, I pulled on pajama pants and a T-shirt and stepped outside to inhale the cool night air. The front porch was half-dark due to one of the lights being out. The porch door opened, and Brenna stepped out with two mugs.

"Here." Brenna handed me one of the mugs, filled with hot cocoa and whipped cream.

"Thanks." I took a sip, relishing the warmth spreading through me. "Your dad says you're eager to get into racing."

"It's all I've ever wanted to do." Brenna confirmed. "He told me you might be able to help with that?"

"I'm going to do my best." I assured. "We can start with getting you to races. Work in the pits. Lightning can hook you up with other racers who are training, and you'll learn all you can about it."

Brenna drank some of her cocoa. "Smokey says you might not be doing the crew chief thing anymore."

I stared at her. "How'd you hear about that?"

"He talks about you to everyone else." Brenna said. "I like to eavesdrop. Is it true?"

"Well, I'm not really sure." I sighed. "I have a lot to think about."

"Aren't you old enough to have everything figured out already?" Brenna asked.

I laughed. "Brenna, you'll find out that people continue to grow and change long after college. I have a lot to consider, paths that I'm having trouble deciding on. It's a tough choice. But one thing is certain: I'm going to find a way to get you on that track. If I can't do it myself, I'll guarantee Lightning will do it. You have my word. Have I ever broken a promise to you?"

Now, Brenna smiled. "Nope. Thanks, Harley."

I wrapped an arm around her shoulders to give her a side-hug. "Happy to do it."

We stood in silence, enjoying the sound of the crickets and the sight of the stars above. We stood in the darkened part of the porch, so Smokey and Lightning didn't see us as they drove past. When Brenna and I heard them talking about me, we decided to stay quiet.

"Has she told you about her plans?" Smokey asked Lightning.

"Yeah, and I guess I can see where she's coming from. Being torn between two parts of yourself." Lightning said. "Racing is all I do, and I'm happy to keep doing it. But Harley's been sort of living a double-life for several years. Ever since she met her Soul Connect Partner….."

"Never met this feller. What's he like?"

"Really nice. He cares a lot about Harley, and she's pretty protective of him."

"So they do some sort of writing thing?"

"Uh, yeah. Some kind of travel writing. He's like her mentor."

Smokey hummed in thought, and I made a mental note to introduce him properly to Finn one of these days. Smokey paused outside the house, glancing to the door. He and Lightning still hadn't seen me and Brenna hiding in the shadows.

"Hey, McQueen?"

"Yeah?"

"If Harley decided she wanted to quit being your crew chief, if she decided to pursue a career in this travel writing business, would you be okay with it?"

"Why wouldn't I be? She's like my sister. I want her to be happy."

"Just want to know your thoughts. Ultimately, it is her decision. But that decision is going to cause a reaction from her family. Everyone is proud of what she does. Heck, we're all worried about her mental health and want her to do what's best for her. What would you say and think about her leaving?"

Lightning seemed to consider the question carefully. "Harley is a living piece of Doc's memory. She was, and still is, the best crew chief I could ask for after he died. She'll always be there. If I ever need her, she'll be there for me. But if being with Finn—her Soul Connect Partner—and doing her other job makes her happy, then she should do it. Racing and Radiator Springs will always be there for her."

Smokey chuckled softly. "Wise words. You really are getting old." Lightning groaned and laughed as the two cars drove off.

Brenna nudged me with her elbow. "I guess you can stop feeling guilty about disappointing them."

I hugged her again. "Yeah, I guess you're right." I stared in the direction Lightning left. _Thanks, bro._

* * *

This was it. The final run-through before we had to hit the road for Florida. It finally felt like all the training was falling into place. Lightning looked as determined as a rookie on his first day.

"All right, hurry it up!" Mack said anxiously. "We gotta hit the road if we want to make it!"

"Harley?" Smokey looked to me.

"Go!" I shouted.

Cruz and Lightning sped off, kicking up dust.

One lap down, and Lightning was right on Cruz's tail.

"Go Lightning!" Brenna cheered.

"Come on, boy!" Smokey shouted.

Second lap…

Lightning passed Cruz!

I whooped and cheered. "That's what I'm talking about!"

"That's more like it!" Smokey laughed.

"Bring it home, McQueen!" Junior urged.

"Don't let up!" Louise encouraged.

Halfway through the final lap. My smile made my cheeks hurt, but I didn't care. Lightning passed Smokey's training, and now he was ready to—

Cruz suddenly came up and passed on the inside. Lightning slowed a little from surprise, and then desperately tried to climb back up and regain the distance.

"What's going on?" Brenna asked, confused.

No one else understood, but I did. This was making Lightning think of what happened at the end of the last season, right before his detrimental crash. He was losing focus.

Guido waved the checkered flag, half-heartedly, and Cruz shot over the finish light a fraction of a second before Lightning did. Nobody said a word.

Cruz spun a few donuts in the dirt, laughing. "That was incredible, wasn't it? Wasn't I—" She paused when she saw Lightning, and her smile fell away as she realized what happened. "Oh. Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"Don't apologize." I assured as everyone gathered behind Lightning. "Going easy on him wouldn't have helped."

"He still did really great, though." Brenna insisted. "He'll kill in Florida. No offense, Cruz, but you're not Storm."

Brenna was right. Cruz wasn't Jackson Storm. She didn't race like Storm. He would do whatever it took to win. If Lightning managed to get ahead, Storm would knock him down and make him lose focus again. We hadn't trained for that.

I cautiously approached Lightning. "Speed Racer?"

Lightning cleared his throat. "We should get going."


	13. Who Wins the Wagers?

**Chapter Thirteen – Who Wins the Wagers?**

Smokey, Junior, Louise, River, Wendell, and Brenna all agreed to join us in Florida for the race. I figured we could use all the emotional and pit crew support we could get. The rest of the pit crew from Radiator Springs arrived at the track a day before us to set up and prep for the race. Nobody spoke on the way to the track. Mack gave us updates as we got closer, but the trailer remined silent. I was firm about keeping the TVs off. Lightning looked anxious, like he might throw up.

" _Approaching Florida International Speedway."_ Mack announced over the radio. _"We'll be there in about ten minutes."_

"Thanks, Mack." I said. I looked to Lightning. "How do you feel?"

Lightning gulped. "I'll be okay."

That was a lie, and I knew it. This was the moment he waited for, what he trained for. This is where Lightning and Sterling's gamble would be determined. If Lightning won, he would prove to everyone he could keep racing. He could decide for himself when to quit, and no one would push him out.

If he lost, he might never race again.

A fleeting thought crossed my mind: if Lightning lost and he didn't race anymore, I wouldn't have to be his crew chief anymore. Might make my future a little clearer. I immediately squashed out that idea. Lightning would support me no matter what I did. But this was his entire life, and he would be devastated if he couldn't race anymore.

 _Bet he'll spend the rest of his life on the track. Die of an engine attack in a middle of a race, just like Dad._ I thought with a small smile.

Mack parked the trailer, and the door opened so we could unload. Smokey, Louise, Junior, and River pulled up beside us. Wendell and Brenna rode in Smokey's flatbed, and Brenna jumped out excitedly.

"Look at this!" Brenna squealed. "This is incredible!"

"Never been to a big-time racetrack?" Cruz guessed.

"No way! Have you?" Brenna asked.

Cruz looked around. "Well, never been to the pits."

"That changes today." Lightning assured. "You're my trainer, you're sticking with us."

"Definitely." I agreed. I returned to the trailer and pulled out one of my old T-shirts from the storage compartment. "Here, Brenna. That's one of the shirts I made when I started working in the pits." I tossed the shirt to Brenna, and she pulled it on over her tank top. The crimson red shirt complemented her fiery hair, and the flaming 95 on the front was still bright despite the decal being faded from age. On the back of the shirt was the Rust-eze logo.

"Thanks!" Brenna hopped like a small child full of candy. Her bright blue eyes were alight with wonder and joy.

"Come on. Let's see if the rest of the team is here." Lightning encouraged. We headed towards the pits, and it didn't take long for us to spot the rest of the team.

"Hey guys!" Mater greeted.

"Hey Mater! Hi, everyone." Lightning put on a smile as he greeted them. "Everything set up?"

"And ready to go come race time." Sally confirmed.

"And we got a surprise fer ya!" Mater said. He looked to Sally hopefully. "Can I show 'em now?"

"Yes, Mater. Go ahead. Sarge and I are going to do one more final check." Sally said.

Mater whooped and herded me and Lightning away. Brenna followed us, curious as ever. "Mater, what's going on?" I asked.

"You'll see!" Mater said in a singsong voice. He led us to a series of food and merchandise booths outside the pits, and we stopped at a snack stand. Quite a group of people stood there waiting for us.

"No freaking way!" I laughed.

"About time you got here!" Sky laughed as she and Katherine hugged me. They were joined by Nick, Dusty, Finn, Holley, and two older humans I recognized from Katherine's photos of her parents.

"What are you all doing here?" Lightning asked incredulously.

"Well, we all heard that you and Harley could use some extra morale support." Holley said.

"So we thought we'd stop by." Finn finished.

"Your girlfriend, that Porsche lady, hooked us up with the tickets." Nick added.

Brenna gaped, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. "D-Dusty Crophopper? And Skylar Riley?"

"Who's this?" Sky asked me.

"This is Brenna, a very good friend of mine and, someday, a racer." I introduced. "Brenna, I see you're familiar with my friends Sky Riley and Dusty Crophopper? World-class air racers and firefighters?"

Brenna looked like she would pass out. "H-Hi."

"A racer, huh?" Dusty smiled. "Air or car?"

"I prefer the ground." Brenna said. "But I think you're awesome!"

"Thanks!" Dusty chuckled.

I took a moment to hug Finn. "I'm glad you came. We needed the extra help."

"I thought so, too." Finn said. "Just because of how we ended our last call. I've been worried about you."

"We can worry more about it after the race." I assured.

"Maybe we should get to our seats?" Nick suggested. "All the pre-race stuff will be happening soon, and it's going to get crowded."

"Yes, I agree." Katherine nodded. "We'll be rooting for you guys!"

"Thanks." Lightning said gratefully. "I'm happy you all could make it."

"I'll catch up with you in a minute." Sky said. "I want another churro."

"I thought you weren't supposed to give in to cravings." I pointed out.

"One extra churro isn't going to kill me or the baby." Sky already headed towards the right booth.

"I'll keep an eye on her and steer her towards the bleachers." I offered. "Come on, Brenna." She and I jogged after Sky, and the three of us disappeared into the crowd to find the churro stand.

"I heard you were taking a break since you were pregnant." Brenna said to Sky. "Will you be going back to racing after the baby is born?"

"Totally." Sky nodded. "I live full-time at the firefighting base where I work. But Dusty and I always go racing during the season."

I paid for our churros and we walked back towards the pits. "I didn't know you watched air racing, Brenna."

"I like all racing." Brenna said. "It's the thrill of the competition and the adrenaline coursing through you. That's what I love. I just would prefer to do it on the ground."

"Scared of heights?" Sky guessed.

Brenna shrugged sheepishly. "Maybe a little."

"No worries, kid." Sky assured. "You do you." She pulled a black bandana from her jeans pocket. "Here. Doesn't matter how long a racer keeps their hair, you should always keep it from getting in your face."

Brenna made a little squeaky sound from excitement. She held her churro in her teeth as she tied the bandana over her hair. "Thank you!" She said with her mouth full of churro.

We had to pause when we reached a group of reporters crowded around a racer. Based on the voice, it was Jackson Storm.

"I hate that jerk." Sky scoffed. "He's a real—" She glanced to Brenna. "Never mind."

"Why does everyone do that?" Brenna laughed. "I've heard curse words before."

"Because young ladies shouldn't be cursing until they learn how to drink." Sky said, patting Brenna's head.

"Sky." I raised an eyebrow reproachfully.

"What?" Sky shrugged.

"Skylar Riley?"

We turned to see Jackson Storm had spotted us and focused his gaze on Sky as he approached. "What an honor to meet you! Still racing?"

"Well, as soon as this little one is born, yes." Sky put a hand on her pregnant stomach. Her disdain for Storm shined in her eyes.

"Awesome! If you ever get tired of air racing, you're welcome to join me and my team." Storm said. "World-class psych-man racer like you, top-of-the-line racer like me, we'd be a great match."

"I'm partial to air racing. But thank you." Sky was normally not so reserved. She was outspoken and blunt. But even someone like Sky could recognize the need to act civil when in front of press cameras.

"Fair enough." Storm laughed when he saw Brenna. "Wow, what a shirt! You get that in an antique shop?"

"Why don't you go fu—" Sky slapped a hand over Brenna's mouth to stop her.

"Remember what I said about young ladies cursing?" Sky droned.

"I would think you would be getting ready for the race, Storm." I noted. "Are the press hounding you?"

"I did want to find you, Miss Hudson." Storm said. "I'm surprised McQueen is back. A shame he's dragging you along. Have you given any thought to switching up teams?"

"What could you possibly have to offer?" I asked.

"Whatever you like." Storm said. "Money, career advancement. Name it, I'll get it."

I had reached my limit with this guy. I wanted nothing more than to punch him in the headlights.

Then, I had an idea. "Storm, you are a skilled racer. I cannot deny that. But you gave me such an offer so often last season when you were a rookie. I'm not the type of crew chief to just drop everything and pick up some random rookie. You really need to prove yourself. Have you been focusing on your training during the off-season?"

"Of course." Storm nodded.

"We shall see." I said. "I'll make a deal with you, Storm: if you win today, you'll prove yourself. In fact," I turned to the press, ignoring the flashing cameras. "I'll be offering a second prize for the winner of today's race. I will be the crew chief for the winner of the race, if they will have me."

The press immediately ate it up, and Storm looked smug. "I'll have my people work out the paperwork. See you after the race."

I waved cheekily as Storm drove off. Sky led me and Brenna away from the press. "Harley, are you sure about this?" Sky asked.

"I have faith in Lightning." I assured.

"So do I, but what if someone else beats him and Storm?" Brenna said.

"Don't worry about it." I said.

"Harley," Sky stopped me from going into the pits. "I have faith in you and Lightning. But you're putting your future in the hands of a gamble. If you were so worried about your future and doing what you want, why are you doing this?"

"Because I have faith in Lightning." I said firmly.

"Or are you just looking for an easy way out of your dilemma?" Sky countered.

It suddenly occurred to me just how rash I had acted. "Then you better hope Lightning wins this."

Sky sighed. "Best of luck to him." She walked off, and Brenna and I headed into the pits. I handed Brenna and extra headset while Lightning went through one final check to ensure he was ready.

I approached Lightning. "Everything good?"

"I think so." Lightning nodded.

"Good." I thought for a moment, and decided to tell him. "Lightning, I just made a bet with Storm."

"Didn't take you for a gambler." Lightning chuckled. "What did you…" He stared at me. "Wait, what—"

"I said I would be the crew chief for the winner of the race." I said. "Maybe that was rash, but he just made me so mad that—"

"I don't blame you." Lightning said. "No worries." He shook out his tires and bounced on his suspension. "Guess I better nail this, then."

I smiled and took my place on the crew chief platform. Like me, Lightning had a moral code that meant we were honor-bound to keep our promises. That's what made our bets so important.

"Hey Smokey, come join me." I offered. "Let's co-chief this time."

"I'd be happy to." Smokey had his headset and he parked up next to me. Lightning drove off and took his place on the track. I felt like a student about to take a huge exam. I was excited yet also nervous.

The green flag waved, and the race was on!

Lightning started at the back, but he steadily weaved through the other cars and began climbing to the leaders. Smokey and I took turns speaking into the headset, giving him advice and encouragement. Guido did his quick tire change, Fillmore refilled on fuel, and I made a habit of doing a quick health check with my powers whenever Lightning made a pit stop. So far, so good. It felt like a normal race, as though mine and Lightning's futures didn't rest with the outcome of this match.

"Looking good." Smokey said as the cars hit Lap 51.

" _Yeah, but not good enough."_ Lightning said. He was still stuck in the middle, halfway to Storm. _"It's all or nothing."_

"You've got this, Lighting. Keep it up." I said.

"Cruz, why are you here?"

I turned to see Sterling had arrived. "I would ask you the same thing. Why are you in the pits?"

"Came to see McQueen." Sterling said dismissively. "Cruz, I need you to head back to the training center immediately."

"Oh…." Cruz looked disappointed. "But I'd love to watch the rest of the race."

"But you need to prep…..uh, what's his name? Miquel? Michael? The guy from Santa Cecilia, he's got a race coming up." Sterling didn't even look at Cruz. "I also want you to deliver some paperwork for a photoshoot."

"Photoshoot?" Cruz asked.

"For McQueen. It's part of the new ad campaign." Sterling still focused on Lightning while he talked. "Now run along."

"But he still has a chance." Cruz protested.

"Just do your job! Stop arguing!" Sterling snapped.

"Hey!" I barked. "Sterling, Ramirez is here on my orders. Everyone on the team comes to races because they all play a part. She's our trainer, she stays."

"She has more important things to do than play dress-up and come to races." Sterling argued. "Cruz, go. And get those stickers and spoilers off. You look ridiculous."

"She's staying by order of the crew chief." I growled.

"Last I checked, I bought Rust-eze, which means I have the power and authority to fire insubordinates." Sterling glared at me.

I jumped off the platform. "Listen you little—"

"It's fine!" Cruz said quickly. "It's fine, Chief Hudson."

I stared at her. "What?"

"I should go." Cruz turned and drove off to the exit. Sterling went back to watching the race, but I stared after Cruz. She didn't even listen to Brenna when she called out. Leland looked to me questioningly, as though to ask what he should do to help. I fumed with anger, wondering what I could say or do to stop this. Cruz had earned my respect and even friendship. She deserved to stay. She was just as much a racer as Lightning.

" _Harley!"_

I jumped when Lightning called my name over the headset. "Yeah, what is it? You okay?"

" _I'm fine! Go get Cruz and bring her back here!"_ Lightning urged.

I had no idea what Lightning planned, but I didn't argue. I skated off as fast as I could. Screeching tires and crashing metal sounded behind me, and then stopped. There was a minor wreck on the track, but Lightning assured me he was okay, so I picked up my speed. Cruz was faster, apparently eager to leave out of embarrassment.

"I know I'm not supposed to do this, but…." I pressed a button on my watch to activate the rockets in my skates. With the extra speed, all I had to do was let my spy training take over. I weaved through cars and booths, jumped over and ducked under obstacles, and managed to catch up to Cruz before she left. I deactivated the rockets, and my momentum carried me past Cruz so I could skid to a halt in front of her.

"Harley?" Cruz blinked. "Where did you come from? How did you get here so fast?"

"Not important. We need you back at the track! It's an emergency!" I urged.

It seemed the key word was 'emergency,' because Cruz immediately turned tail and drove back to the track. I grabbed the wing on her trunk so she could pull me along. We arrived in the pits just as Lightning came in with the other racers, including the injured ones from the wreck.

"No, not me!" Lightning shied away from Guido and Fillmore. "Suit her up!" He looked to Cruz when he said that.

"Me?" Cruz gawked.

I finally understood. "Fillmore, fill her up! Guido, replace the tires! Ramone, we need a 95 and Rust-eze decal, and quick!"

"Wait, what?" Cruz gulped as everyone worked around her.

"What are you doing?" Sterling demanded.

"Cruz is going to finish the race." I guessed, and Lightning nodded.

"No!" Sterling snapped. "She'll damage the brand! She's not a racer! Besides, you can't switch cars in the middle of a race!"

"The rules are the number races. Doesn't say anything about who wears it." Smokey corrected.

"Besides, I'm injured. Can't race." Lightning said matter-of-factly.

"You are not!" Sterling snapped.

"Yes, he is." I said. "Checked myself. Not able to finish. So Cruz is going in."

"And you're going with her." Lightning insisted. I nodded in agreement after only a moment of hesitation. "Now let's go, we gotta get her out there!"

"She's ready, I guess." Ramone said. "That's the best I can do on short-notice." Cruz now had new racing tires, and a 95, Rust-eze logo, and her name written in blue and red paint on her flanks.

Cruz looked unsure. "I shouldn't be—"

"You belong on that track, Cruz." Lightning insisted. "And you won't be alone."

"Here, I got the magnets!" Brenna ran up to me with the racing magnets.

"Thanks Bre—" I paused as I reached for the magnets. In two seconds, I analyzed Brenna's outfit: jeans, sneakers, the McQueen's Racing Team shirt I gave her, and the black bandana tying back her hair, with her headset firmly attached to her head. "Thanks, Brenna. Because you're going to need them."

"What?" Brenna yelped as I scooped her up and tossed her on Cruz's roof. "Are you sure?"

Lightning and I shared a look. "Yes." We said at once.

"Now go out there and be real racers!" I ordered.

Brenna and Cruz looked at each other, and then smiled at us. Brenna strapped on the magnets and readjusted her position on Cruz, resting her feet against the yellow car's back wing. Cruz peeled out of the pits until Lightning and I could remind her of the speed limit in the pits. Cruz and Brenna were soon on the track with the other racers, and people began to notice someone new racing for the Lightning McQueen team. All too soon, the green flag flew, and the cars sped off. Cruz and Brenna jolted, and then Cruz sped up again.

"Pick it up, Cruz!" I called into the microphone. I got an idea. "Hey Francis Beltline! The School Bus of Death is after you!"

That made Cruz pick up speed, and she caught up with the other racers. But the problems didn't end there. Surely Lightning expected this, like I did. This was Cruz and Brenna's first race, after all.

"You're tensing up, Cruz." Smokey warned. Still, Cruz didn't relax, and Brenna appeared to be in shock.

"Cruz, just take a deep breath." I said into the microphone. "You're okay."

"Oh! Tell her she's a fluffy cloud!" Lightning piped up.

Smokey stared at him strangely. "Uh…you're a fluffy cloud….."

I could hear Cruz repeating this to herself, and she melted into a proper position. "That's great, Cruz. Brenna, you need to connect yourself with Cruz."

" _I thought the magnets were already doing that."_ Brenna said.

"No, I mean with your powers." I explained. "Feel the horsepower and the purr of the engine. Let it match with your own heartbeat, and combine your strength with Cruz's."

" _Okay. Okay, I got it."_ Brenna began muttering to herself. I pulled out a pair of binoculars from my bag and watched Cruz and Brenna. In less than a minute, their movements synced up, and I knew the connection had been made. But Cruz began swerving and jumping, especially when she got too close to the wall.

"Cruz, stop jerking around like that." I said.

"Tell her all the crabbies have gone night-night." Lightning said.

Smokey blinked a few times. "I ain't doing that!"

"Then have Lightning do it." I said. "Lightning, you guide Cruz. I'll guide Brenna."

"Smokey?" Lightning asked.

"You seem to know what you're doing." Smokey nodded, handing the headset off to Lightning and letting him up on the platform with me.

"Cruz, it's me." Lightning said. "Think about the beach."

" _Pick a line and stick to it. Got it!"_ Cruz immediately picked up speed again.

"Brenna, keep that connection stable." I said. "You and Cruz are a team. Work together."

" _Roger that."_ Brenna said.

Remembering the lessons with Lightning and Smokey's training helped. All Lightning and I had to do was remind the girls about everything they learned. Cruz and Brenna adapted from there, weaving their way through the racers. They nicked the wall only once, which they laughed about. Lightning and I continued the encouragement, especially when Cruz and Brenna would come in for a pit stop.

Then, there was another minor crash. Two cars hit each other and spiraled out of control, causing the other cars to swerve to avoid hitting each other. A car rammed into Cruz by mistake, with enough force to knock Brenna off.

" _Brenna!"_ I heard Cruz scream through the headset. She shot off into the chaos, searching for Brenna. Luckily, Brenna had landed on another car and rolled to her feet. She jumped from one car to another, and Cruz soon caught her. They and the rest of the cars fell back into order, and they all headed for the pits.

"That's my girl!" Wendell cheered. "Way to go!"

"Thanks, Dad!" Brenna said with a wide smile.

"You guys are doing great." I said. "Keep it up!"

The race resumed. Slowly and surely, Cruz and Brenna climbed up to the top then, then the top five, then the top three. Soon, they were in third place, with Storm not too far away.

"You're almost there, guys!" Lightning said. "Stay focused and stay together!"

" _We got this!"_ Brenna said. _"Don't we, Cruz?"_

" _Heck yeah we do!"_ Cruz laughed.

I looked to Storm, and I did a double-take. He was slowing down. "Lightning, what's Storm up to?" We watched as Storm slowed down enough that the second-place car passed him, and then he drove right alongside Brenna and Cruz.

" _Hey there Costume Cruz and Antique Ally!"_ Storm called.

" _My name is Brenna, you…."_ Brenna said a few words I wouldn't repeat.

" _You know, I think your GPS might be busted."_ Storm continued like Brenna didn't speak.

"Tune him out, guys." Lightning urged.

"No, let him talk." I said. Lightning stared at me, but I nodded reassuringly. I had seen this before when battling boastful bad guys as a spy.

" _But you do look the part."_ Storm said. _"That's good. Don't want people thinking you don't belong here. No need to let them know what we do: that you can look it all you want, but you aren't a real racer. Neither of you are. You're never going to be one of us."_ Storm drove off, back to his first place.

Cruz and Brenna lost some of their speed. I looked through the binoculars; and, sure enough, they looked like they believed Storm's words.

"Did you see what you did?" I asked.

" _We didn't do anything. We can't do anything."_ Brenna said. _"He's right. We shouldn't be here."_

" _We're coming back to the pits. McQueen, you have to get out here."_ Cruz insisted. She and Brenna fell back to fifth place.

"You will do no such thing." Lightning said. "Cruz, Brenna, you guys got into his head! You made him realize he could actually lose this race! You scared him!"

"We see something in the both of you." I said. "Something you don't see in yourselves. We believe in you. It's time you believed in yourselves."

" _Cruz, they're right."_ Brenna said. _"We can't let him get to us. We are real racers."_

" _But are we really?"_ Cruz asked.

" _Yes."_ Brenna insisted. _"Look at us! Out on a real track and ready to win. Maybe we won't win today. That's okay. It's okay if we don't get first place. We will leave this track knowing that we belong, that we are real racers."_

Cruz sighed slowly, and she sounded hopeful. _"Yeah. Yeah, we are. Thanks, Brenna."_

Brenna laughed softly. _"Cruz, even if we don't win today, you made my dream come true. I'm a racer. I've always known it was in my blood, and you made it happen. Thank you."_

Suddenly, I saw a flash of light from Cruz and Brenna. Binoculars glued to my eyes, I watched as they jumped and swerved a bit, but stayed in fifth place. When the light died, I saw a thread-like light connecting Brenna's heart to Cruz's engine.

"Is that what I think it is?" Lightning asked.

"You guys Soul Connect!" I cheered.

Cruz and Brenna looked awestruck, their energy returning.

"Now get back in the game!" Lightning urged.

Cruz and Brenna sped off. They returned to third place. After a bit of climbing, they got to second place. Then, carefully sneaking up behind Storm, Cruz parked herself right on his bumper and began drafting.

" _Good evening, Storm!"_ Cruz greeted.

" _Don't mind us! Just drafting on your bumper!"_ Brenna called.

"That's what I'm talking about!" I laughed. Everyone on our team laughed and cheered. Storm tried to swerve to shake the girls off, but Cruz was careful to match his every move. The Soul Connect bonded her and Brenna even closer, to the point where they almost thought the exact same thing.

" _Hey Hamilton!"_ Cruz said. _"What's our speed?"_

I heard Hamilton say, _"208 miles an hour….207 miles an hour…"_

" _Stop that!"_ Storm complained.

The white flag waved. Last lap.

"You got this, guys!" I cheered.

"Come on, Cruz!" Smokey called.

"Go, Brenna!" Wendell shouted.

"Four easy turns, one at a time!" Lightning called over the cheers of our team.

" _You are_ not _winning this race!"_ I heard Storm growl.

" _Oh dear, Cruz, we have slow traffic ahead."_ Brenna teased.

" _That's okay, it's just an angry car."_ Cruz said.

" _I'm not angry!"_ Storm shouted.

Cruz tried going inside, but Storm moved to block her. Doubling back, Cruz and Brenna went for the outside and pulled ahead.

Suddenly, Storm slammed into Cruz, sending her and Brenna into the wall. They were still going two hundred miles an hour, and sparks flew from Cruz's metal hide scraping against the cement wall. I heard Brenna scream as the sparks nearly hit her.

"Brenna, hang on!" I shouted. The last thing we needed was a rider falling off onto the track.

"Get out of there!" Lightning called.

" _You don't belong on this track!"_ Storm growled.

" _Yes, we do!"_ Brenna and Cruz said at once.

Then, Cruz caught the edge of the wall and went up. For a brief moment, I thought we would witness a devastating crash.

Instead, Cruz and Brenna flipped over Storm, mere inches away, and Cruz landed on her tires.

She and Brenna shot across the finish line, taking the victory.

* * *

 **A/N: Only one chapter to go! Thanks for sticking with the story and being patient with me completing it!**


	14. Paths Chosen

**A/N: If you're not Bladeisheroic1, you can skip ahead to the chapter. Bladeisheroic1, while I am not bothered by your reviews, I am bothered by the fact that I have to delete them every time. The times they get posted are because I'm away from the computer for several days. If you don't want a review posted to the site, don't write one. As for your name, I think it's okay. Your username/fake name should be whatever you want. It's certainly not offensive to anyone. Hopefully you get more confident on this site. Best of luck.**

 **On to the story!**

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen – Paths Chosen**

Everyone from the pits to the audience burst into cheers and applause. The other racers congratulated Brenna and Cruz for their win. Storm drove off in a huff, furious. Cruz spun a few donuts on the track, blowing smoke and then gagging on it.

Lightning and I approached the pair. "You guys will get used to it." Lightning assured as the girls coughed on the smoke.

"Well done." I said.

"We were pretty great, huh?" Brenna said, bouncing on her toes. "And did you see that Soul Connect?!"

"I have never felt anything like that." Cruz said. "That was amazing!"

"You guys killed it out there." I smiled at Cruz. "You made yourselves great in your own right."

Cruz beamed, and she looked to Brenna. "We make a good team. Maybe we should do this again sometime."

"Totally!" Brenna hopped in place. "Soul Connect Partners got to stick together, right?"

"Right." Cruz agreed. "I hereby name you my permanent racing partner!"

"Great! I hereby name you _my_ permanent racing partner!" Brenna declared. She and Cruz laughed.

"Cruz!" Sterling had a fake smile plastered on his lips. "What a race! I knew you had it in you! Your little friend was quite the show-stealer herself. I think we've found the next new faces of Rust-eze."

Cruz and Brenna shared a look. "Brenna, would you ever race with Sterling?"

"Not a chance." Brenna said.

"That settles it, Mr. Sterling. I quit." Cruz said.

Sterling jolted, obviously not expecting that answer. Someone honked their horn, and Tex Dinoco and Strip "The King" Weathers drove up through the crowd. "How'd you like to race with us, then?" Tex offered. "Dinoco has quite the history of great racers. I'd be tickled pink to have you on our team."

"Only if Brenna races with me." Cruz said. "She and I are a package deal."

Tex laughed. "I would be the dumbest billionaire in the country if I didn't sign her on too! Miss Brenna, you've got a lot of skill for someone your age. It'd be an honor to have you both."

"Thanks!" Brenna said. "That'd be awesome!"

"Team Dinoco!" Lightning said, nudging Cruz excitedly. "You can't get much better than that!"

"Oh, Mr. McQueen." Sterling piped up. "Now that you're retired, I'll need you first thing Monday morning for a photoshoot. Eight a.m. sharp."

Lightning deflated a bit in resignation. "All right, sure." He smiled at me. "I guess being Cruz and Brenna's crew chief won't be so bad."

"If they don't mind me." I shrugged.

Brenna frowned. "But, Harley…."

"Hold your horsepower." Smokey gestured to one of the display boards above the track. We all looked to see the winner announcements still flashing brightly. Then, the word "updating" appeared under Cruz and Brenna's image, and Lightning's picture appeared.

Lightning looked surprised. "Wait, why am I up there, too?"

"Because you started the race. That's how it works." Smokey said.

"But that…..how can…he didn't even finish the race!" Sterling protested.

"Cruz finished for him. The Lightning McQueen Team won." I pointed out.

"So Lightning McQueen can choose when he gets to retire." Sally added.

"Meet our lawyer, Sterling." I introduced.

Tex cleared his throat and began herding Sterling away. "Come on, Sterling. Let's you and me have a talk, billionaire to billionaire."

With all that settled, the press began to swarm Cruz and Brenna, cameras flashing and questions flying. The girls soaked it all in, not at all overwhelmed. In fact, they seemed to be enjoying it.

Lightning grinned and murmured, "They got a lot of stuff, eh Doc?"

I smiled. _I bet Dad would agree._

"Hey Harley!"

I turned and saw Sky and Katherine making their way over. I skated up to them so we could hug. "So, you get to be a crew chief for McQueen's team." Katherine noted.

"If that's still what you want." Sky added.

I looked to Cruz and Brenna. They were about to start their dream jobs. They were real racers at last. Lightning was going to keep racing, like he wanted. What did I want to do?

"I think I know what path I want to take." I said. "I just need to figure out a few things." I played with a lock of my hair. "Make a few changes."

* * *

A few weeks later, everyone gathered at Radiator Springs to celebrate Lightning continuing his racing like he wanted, and Cruz and Brenna signing on with Dinoco. Part of the party was a celebratory lap around Historic Willie's Butte.

Quite a few changes in looks happened in those short weeks. Cruz had blue decals on her paintjob and blue rims on her wheels. She also had a 51 and the Dinoco logo painted on her flanks. Brenna wore a custom-made racing outfit, colored yellow and blue with a 51 and the Dinoco logo on her back. She still had the bandana Sky gave her, which she used to keep her hair from her face. Lightning got a new paintjob as well: cobalt blue, like Dad, with the words "Fabulous Lightning McQueen" on his sides and "For Doc Hudson" printed across his back. I dyed all my hair cobalt blue, and it perfectly matched the blazer I wore over a red-and-blue, sleeveless plaid shirt. I also wore skinny jeans, which I tucked into my skates.

Everyone from Radiator Springs gathered for the party. Also attending were Smokey, Louise, Junior, Wendell, River, Tex, The King, Leland, and even Finn and Holley. They all looked quite impressed by our new looks.

"Git-R-Done, 51!" Mater cheered, wearing a large foam Dinoco hat with a 51 on it.

"McQueen figured Hud would want you to have the number." Smokey told Cruz and Brenna.

"It is classic. Really old-school." I agreed.

"We love it!" Cruz and Brenna said simultaneously.

"And we'll wear it proudly." Brenna added. "Of course, our look can't compete with McQueen's new paintjob."

"Or Harley's hair. Real subtle." Cruz joked.

I brushed the blue hair from my face and shrugged. "Go big or go home."

"Besides, if I'm going to be your crew chief," Lightning said. "I better look like it."

"And Tex is okay with that? Considering he bought Rust-eze?" I asked.

"Apparently so." Lightning shrugged. "Thanks, Tex!"

"So, if Lightning is our crew chief, what are you doing, Harley?" Cruz asked.

"I'm taking a break from full-time racing." I glanced to Finn. "I think I've found my calling, and I want to spend more time on it. But I'll come back now and then to co-chief with Lightning."

"You promise you'll come back?" Brenna asked. "You'll come to races and teach me how to be a good psych-man racer? I could use all the help I can get."

"Don't worry, Brenna." I assured. "I'll teach you all I can, and I will make time to come back for races and training. I promise." Brenna hugged me, and I held her close. For once, I felt confident that I could keep this promise.

"All right, let's do this!" Lightning called. He, Cruz, and Brenna took their places at the starting line, and Luigi sent them off. I skated off to stand next to Leland. He put an arm around my shoulders, and I leaned into the hug. Leland leaned in to kiss my head, but stopped when he heard Sheriff clear his throat. At the sight of Sheriff, Sarge, and even Red glaring, Leland removed his arm and took a step away from me. I gave my family an exasperated look.

"They'll get used to you." I reassured him.

"Of course, you'll also have to get through me." Finn added as he parked next to me.

"Finn, I already said I wanted to start going out with Leland." I reminded him. "Besides, of all the guys I could have for a boyfriend, at least it's someone you already know."

"It is _because_ I know him that I'll be keeping an extra close eye on him." Finn said.

I laughed. "As long as he can still go on missions."

"Oh yes." Finn nodded. "In fact, Katherine is doing some research for an undercover operation in Italy, dealing with a local mob boss in Florence."

"Ooh, Florence. Home of the Renaissance. Me like-y." I said.

"Undercover in a mob." Leland sighed blissfully. "Can't wait!"

"You'll be working the desk with Katherine." Finn said.

Leland groaned, and then sighed. "Baby steps, I suppose."

Finn and I laughed. I looked to Cruz, Brenna, and Lightning as they ran around the dirt track a few times. They all smiled broadly, filled with joy and following their dreams. I didn't feel left out, like I thought I would. I was just happy for them, and they made it clear they were happy for me. My family was sad to see me go, but glad to see me making my way in the world. My path was clear, and all my worries melted away. For once, I felt confident in myself.

Finn nudged me. "Ready for a new adventure, Partner?"

I grinned. "Yeah. I'm ready."

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed the story! This was long-overdue and promised some time ago.** _ **Cars**_ **stories will be taking a backseat until I get inspired again. Thanks for hanging in there!**


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